State faces shortage of over 15K teachers in govt schools

Haryana is grappling with a shortage of 15,659 teachers in government schools, according to data presented in the Haryana Assembly by Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda. The information was sought by former Education Minister and Congress MLA from Jhajjar, Geeta Bhukkal, during the ongoing Assembly session.

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District-wise vacancies

Ambala 1,183

Bhiwani 447

Charkhi Dadri 87

Faridabad 1,090

Fatehabad 537

Gurugram 779

Hisar 624

Jhajjar 316

Jind 393

Kaithal 367

Karnal 286

Kurukshetra 310

Mahendergarh 349

Palwal 1,484

Panchkula 263

Panipat 278

Rewari 218

Rohtak 283

Sirsa 1,154

Sonepat 323

Yamunanagar 1,914

Nuh-Mewat 3,347

Total 1,5659

As per the data, Haryana has 99,666 teachers employed against the sanctioned strength of 1,15,325. Among them, 80,640 are regular teachers, 11,916 serve as guest teachers, and 7,110 have been hired through the Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam (HKRN).

The vacancies are classified into 12,312 positions in the Rest of Haryana Cadre and 3,347 in the Mewat Cadre. The Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) cadre has the highest shortage, with 8,519 vacancies, followed by Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) at 4,583 and Primary Teachers (PRTs) at 2,557.

Yamunanagar, Mewat worst-hit districts

Among the districts, Yamunanagar has the highest number of vacancies at 1,914, followed by Palwal (1,484), Sirsa (1,154), Ambala (1,183) and Faridabad (1,090).

The Mewat region remains a major concern, with 3,347 vacant posts, including 1,693 for primary teachers, 1,088 for TGTs and 566 for PGTs. Given Mewat's existing educational challenges, the acute shortage underscores the need for urgent recruitment measures.

Recruitment in process, says government

Responding to the issue, Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda informed the Assembly that the government has initiated recruitment efforts. He disclosed that 1,456 PRT positions in Mewat have been sent to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), 3,427 TGTs are being recruited through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) and 4,780 PGT posts have been sent to the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), out of which 1,672 have been recommended for appointment.

Additionally, 4,550 PGTs are being promoted, with 3,371 cases already processed.

Talking to The Tribune, former Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal criticised the state’s approach, arguing that many posts are being filled through HKRN, where teachers receive only 50% of a regular teacher’s salary.

She also accused the government of shutting down schools instead of addressing the staff shortage.

"The government merged 1,203 schools last year due to declining student strength. Instead of improving education, it is closing down schools, which is not a healthy indicator for Haryana’s education sector," she said.

With thousands of students affected by the lack of teachers, experts believe timely hiring and better incentives are essential to ensuring quality education in the state.