India’s higher education sector has expanded its teaching workforce by nearly 3.65 lakh over the past decade, but a significant faculty shortage continues to affect centrally funded institutions. According to an SBI Research report, the number of teachers increased from 13,67,535 in 2013–14 to 17,32,294 in 2023–24, representing a 27% rise. However, 34% of sanctioned teaching positions remain vacant across centrally funded higher education institutions.

The findings come into focus on World Teachers’ Day 2026, observed globally on October 5. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
UNESCO has chosen the theme “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” highlighting the need to strengthen the professional and working conditions of educators.

India’s Higher Education Teacher Strength Rises

The SBI Research report, titled The State of Higher Education in India since 2014, shows that India’s teaching workforce grew alongside the expansion of the higher education system. By 2023–24, the country had 1,289 universities, 48,246 colleges and 15,221 standalone institutions, taking the total number of higher education institutions to 64,756. Student enrolment also reached around 4.5 crore during the year.

The composition of the teaching workforce has also changed. Women accounted for 45% of higher education teachers in 2023–24, compared with 39% a decade earlier. The share of teachers from SC, ST and OBC communities also increased during the period.

India’s regular-mode higher education pupil-teacher ratio stood at 23 students per teacher in 2023–24. However, the national figure masks considerable regional differences. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa recorded a ratio of 14, while Bihar reported 57 and Jharkhand 48.

Faculty Vacancies Remain a Challenge

Despite the increase in overall teacher strength, staffing gaps remain substantial across centrally funded institutions. The SBI Research analysis, based on parliamentary data, found that 14,042 of 41,351 sanctioned teaching positions were vacant, resulting in a vacancy rate of 34%.

The shortage differs across institutions. Vacancy levels stood at 54% in IIITs, 39% in IITs, 33% in central universities, 31% in IIMs and 29% in NITs, while IISERs recorded a comparatively lower rate of 7%. Professor-level positions also faced a significant gap, with more than half of sanctioned positions remaining vacant.

The data highlights the challenge of matching the expansion of higher education with adequate teaching capacity. As institutions grow and student enrolment rises, maintaining sufficient faculty strength remains important for classroom engagement, academic mentoring, research and institutional development.

World Teachers’ Day Highlights Need for Support

UNESCO’s 2026 observance places the status of teachers at the centre of the global education conversation. The organisation notes that teachers face pressures linked to digital technologies, climate change, inclusion, migration and displacement, alongside concerns involving professional autonomy, support, workloads and working environments. In its joint World Teachers’ Day 2026 message, UNESCO, the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International called for stronger support for educators.

Khaled El-Enany, Director-General, UNESCO; Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, International Labour Organization; Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF and David Edwards, General Secretary, Education International, jointly stated:

“On this World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO, the ILO, UNICEF and Education International call on governments and partners to stand with teachers by advancing the status of the profession and ensuring that every teacher, everywhere, is empowered to help build more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable societies.”

The message reinforces the wider focus of this year’s observance: recognising teachers while also addressing the conditions required for them to perform their roles effectively.

For India, the latest higher education data presents a mixed picture. The teaching workforce has grown substantially over the last decade, alongside greater participation by women and the expansion of institutions. At the same time, the large number of unfilled sanctioned positions shows that faculty recruitment and retention remain important priorities as India’s higher education system continues to expand.