40 Lakh Sanctioned Posts and 9.79 Lakh Unfilled Posts in Ministries and Department of Govt. of India: Vacancy Status & Mission Recruitment (2025): Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 602 answered on 24.07.2025
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
(DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.602
(ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025)
UNFILLED VACANCIES IN MINISTRIES AND DEPARTMENTS
602. SHRI SANJAY RAUT:
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of sanctioned posts across all Ministries and Departments under Central Government as of March 2021 and how many remain unfilled;
(b) the number of vacancies in key Ministries such as Railways, Defence, Home Affairs, and the Postal Department;
(c) whether it is a fact that more than 9.79 lakh posts are lying vacant across 78 Central Ministries and Departments;
(d) whether such large-scale vacancies contradict Government’s commitment to provide 2 crore jobs annually; and
(e) the specific measures being taken to fill these posts in a time-bound, transparent, and accountable manner to address rising unemployment in the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES
AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (e): The total number of sanctioned posts across all Ministries and Departments under Central Government as on 01.03.2021 was 40,35,203. The occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process, depending upon the position and requirement in various Ministries / Departments of Central Government. The details of unfilled vacancies and appointments made are maintained by the respective Ministries / Departments. Further, the Pay Research Unit of the Department of Expenditure publishes Annual Reports containing consolidated data relating to sanctioned posts and persons-in-position in various Ministries / Departments. The Annual Reports of the Pay Research Unit are publicly accessible on the website of the Department of Expenditure at: https://doe.gov.in/hi/annual-report-pay-and-allowances
The Government has issued instructions to all Ministries / Departments for taking timely and advance action to fill up vacant / unfilled posts through direct recruitment. In terms of these instructions, Ministries / Departments are required to take advance action for reporting their vacancy position in respect of direct recruitment posts to the concerned recruiting agencies in order to facilitate the filling up of direct recruitment vacancies in a timely manner. For filling of vacancies through promotion, a Model Calendar for holding Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings has been prescribed. All Ministries/ Departments have been requested to adhere to the prescribed timelines so as to ensure that panels are ready in time and utilised as and when vacancies arise during the course of the vacancy year. For filling of vacant posts through deputation, power has been delegated to Ministries / Departments for making appointments to posts up to level 13A and below in the pay matrix. All these measures have significantly helped in accelerating the pace and quantum of appointments and filling up of vacant posts in Central Government.
Further, since June 2022, vacant posts in Central Government are being filled by the respective Ministries / Departments in mission-mode under Mission Recruitment. Rozgar Melas are being organized in 45-50 cities at regular intervals, which act as a catalyst for the time-bound filling up of vacancies across Central Government Ministries / Departments / Organizations.
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