Nearly one in every three faculty positions across India’s premier All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) remains vacant, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha. The disclosure highlights significant staffing gaps across both long-established and newly operational institutes.
In a written reply to a question raised by Shri Golla Baburao, Minister of State for Health Shri Prataprao Jadhav presented institute-wise data on sanctioned, filled, and vacant posts across 20 functional AIIMS.
Widespread Faculty Shortages Across Institutes
The data reveal substantial faculty shortages nationwide. At AIIMS New Delhi, the country’s flagship institute, 446 out of 1,306 sanctioned faculty posts are vacant. Similarly, AIIMS Jodhpur reports 184 vacancies, Mangalagiri 138, Nagpur 135, Kalyani 134, and Rishikesh 126.
Moreover, newer AIIMS appear particularly strained. AIIMS Madurai has filled only 70 of its 183 sanctioned faculty posts, leaving 113 positions vacant. Rajkot reports 105 vacancies, while Raebareli and Gorakhpur have 98 and 96 unfilled faculty posts, respectively.
Non-Faculty Vacancies Even More Severe
In addition to faculty shortages, non-faculty positions face even larger gaps. These roles include nursing officers, technicians, administrative staff, and other support personnel essential for hospital operations.
Across the 20 AIIMS, 17,205 non-faculty posts remain vacant. AIIMS New Delhi alone accounts for 2,542 vacancies. Furthermore, Rishikesh has 1,144 unfilled posts, Patna 1,132, Raipur 1,069, Bhubaneswar 1,026, and Kalyani 1,050.
The situation at AIIMS Madurai is particularly concerning. Of its 911 sanctioned non-faculty posts, only 40 are filled, leaving 871 positions vacant.
Government Measures to Address Staffing Gaps
The Health Ministry stated that the creation of posts and recruitment remains a continuous process. Each AIIMS operates a Standing Selection Committee under its respective Act to oversee faculty recruitment.
To mitigate shortages, the government has introduced several measures. It now permits newly established AIIMS to engage retired faculty members up to 70 years of age on a contractual basis. Additionally, a Visiting Faculty Scheme enables professors from other institutions to contribute to teaching.
As reported by TOI, the government conducts nursing officer recruitment through the Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET). Meanwhile, it fills Group B and C non-faculty posts through a Common Recruitment Examination (CRE). Authorities select junior and senior residents twice annually through the INI-CET and INI-SS examinations.
Expansion Outpacing Staffing Capacity?
The disclosure comes at a time when AIIMS institutions are expanding rapidly. They are increasing patient load, adding academic seats, and introducing super-speciality services. However, the scale of vacancies raises serious concerns about whether staffing levels are keeping pace with infrastructure growth and the rising demand for tertiary healthcare services.