The Government of Jammu and Kashmir informed the Legislative Assembly that approximately 4,400 posts of teachers and lecturers are currently vacant across the Union Territory, highlighting a significant shortage of teaching staff in government schools.
As per the official data, the Kashmir division accounts for 2,038 vacant lecturer posts. District-wise figures reveal that Kupwara has the highest number of vacancies (421), followed by Anantnag (388) and Baramulla (347). Other districts include Pulwama (179), Bandipora (169), Budgam (167), Kulgam (127), Ganderbal (99), Srinagar (79), and Shopian (62).
The Jammu division is also facing a substantial shortage, with 2,441 vacant posts. Doda records the highest vacancies (385), followed by Rajouri (341) and Kathua (317). Additional figures include Udhampur (286), Reasi (245), Jammu district (243), Poonch (198), Ramban (166), Kishtwar (163), while Samba has the lowest at 97 vacancies.
The government clarified that these figures include both existing vacancies and posts expected to fall vacant in the near future. It further stated that some positions are currently being utilized to regularize Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers under earlier policy frameworks.
In response to queries raised in the House, the administration acknowledged that recruitment in certain categories had been delayed due to prior decisions related to post conversions. However, it assured that the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission has now initiated the recruitment process for lecturer posts across multiple subjects.
Selections have already been finalized for nine subjects—Kashmiri, Dogri, Statistics, Punjabi, Music, Geography, History, Arabic, and Geology—with approximately 30 candidates identified so far. Recruitment for the remaining subjects is currently underway.
As an interim measure to address the shortage, the School Education Department has begun appointing eligible postgraduate teachers as in-charge lecturers, particularly in subjects such as Geography, Political Science, and Dogri. The government also clarified that guest lecturers will not be engaged. Instead, cluster resource coordinators have been deployed for the 2025–26 academic session to support schools facing staff shortages.
