Delhi government school teacher strength drops by 3,616 in two years

The number of teachers in government schools in Delhi has declined by 3,616 over the past two academic years, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha by the Union Ministry of Education.

The data, presented in response to an unstarred question on teacher vacancies in primary and secondary schools, shows that the number of teachers in government schools in Delhi fell from 87,000 in 2023-24 to 86,095 in 2024-25, before declining further to 83,384 in 2025-26.

The figures indicate a decline of about 4.2 per cent in Delhi’s government school teaching workforce over the two-year period.

Replying to the question, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said recruitment, deployment and service conditions of teachers are the responsibility of the respective State Governments and Union Territory administrations, while the Centre extends financial assistance under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to help maintain the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio.

The Ministry clarified that it does not maintain data on sanctioned and vacant teaching posts, as these are maintained by the respective State Governments and Union Territories. It added that teacher recruitment is a continuous process, with vacancies arising due to retirements, resignations, creation of new posts and establishment of new schools. The timeline for filling vacancies is determined by the concerned State or UT administration.

The Centre also informed Parliament that it periodically advises States and Union Territories to fill vacant teaching posts through transparent and merit-based recruitment processes. Progress on recruitment is reviewed regularly by the Department of School Education and Literacy with the States and UTs.

The Ministry said that, as per the UDISE+ 2025-26 report, the national pupil-teacher ratio remains within the norms prescribed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, standing at 19:1 at the primary level, 17:1 at the upper primary level, 15:1 at the secondary level and 23:1 at the higher secondary level.