SRINAGAR, Sep 3 (Agencies): A major shortage of staff continues to affect the education sector in Jammu & Kashmir, with 10,446 posts lying vacant in the Higher Education and School Education departments, according to government figures.
The vacancy position shows that School Education is facing the larger gap, with 9,407 posts awaiting recruitment or promotion. The Higher Education Department has 1,039 vacant posts across different categories.
In Higher Education, 201 Gazetted, 275 Non-Gazetted and 267 Multi-Tasking Staff posts are vacant under the direct quota. Another 47 Gazetted, 218 Non-Gazetted and 31 MTS posts remain vacant under the promotion quota.
The School Education Department has 594 Gazetted, 727 Non-Gazetted and 43 MTS vacancies under the direct quota. Under the promotion quota, 2,683 Gazetted, 3,598 Non-Gazetted and 1,762 MTS posts are lying vacant.
The combined figures underline the scale of the staffing shortage in the two key education departments. A large number of vacancies remain pending at a time when schools, colleges and other higher education institutions require adequate staff for routine functioning.
The shortage covers teaching as well as other categories of employees. Officials said efforts are underway to fill the vacant positions through recruitment and promotion.
According to the government, vacancies are being identified and referred to the concerned recruiting agencies for selection. Posts that have already been advertised or referred to recruiting agencies are expected to be filled in a time-bound manner.
The official said that steps are being taken to streamline recruitment procedures and improve coordination with the recruiting agencies.
It has stressed the need to follow prescribed recruitment rules, plan recruitment cycles in advance and monitor the progress of selections closely.
The recruiting agencies have issued examination calendars for 2026, and the schedules are being followed, a senior government official said.
The vacancy figures point to a continuing need for faster recruitment in the education sector. The situation is particularly significant in School Education, where more than 9,400 posts remain vacant, making it the department with the largest staffing gap.