NEW DELHI: The number of contractual teachers hired by the Kendriya Vidyalaya has increased three times from 3260 in 2020-21 to 10,462 in 2022-23, the Lok Sabha was informed Monday.
Tamil Nadu has hired the highest number of contractual teachers in KVs in the past two years in the country. While in 2022-23, the state hired 917 contractual teachers, the highest number in the country, in 2021-22, they engaged 898 teachers to fill the gap, again the highest number.
Tamil Nadu is followed by Madhya Pradesh (895), West Bengal (835), Uttar Pradesh (761), Maharashtra (668), Odisha (659), Kerala (627) and Andhra Pradesh (502).
As per the data shared by the Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi in a written reply, in 2018-19, the number of contractual teachers hired by KVs was 9,539, and 8,912 the following year. As recruitment drives were undertaken in 2019, the number dipped to 3260 in 2020-21.
But the number of contractual teachers again went up during the pandemic. In 2021-22, the number of contractual teachers hired by KVs increased drastically when 8,105 teachers were engaged in the centre-run schools. The number went up to 10,462 in 2022-23.
Now, the government has advertised over 12,000 teaching positions in KVs.
The minister said, “teachers are engaged on a contractual basis for a temporary duration by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to ensure that the teaching-learning process is not hampered.
“There is no provision for making contractual/ad-hoc teachers permanent as recruitment of teachers is made through a transparent, participatory process through advertisement, written exam and interview,” she said
The minister said the vacancies arise due to retirement, resignation, promotion and additional requirements because of the up-gradation / sanctioning of new streams and enhancement of students’ strength.
Filling up vacancies regularly is a continuous process, and efforts are made to fill up the vacancies as per the provisions of the relevant recruitment rules of the concerned Institution, she added.
KVs have notified 12,099 teaching positions, of which 6150 are for unreserved categories and 3254 for OBCs. While 1802 seats have been earmarked for scheduled Castes, 893 have been reserved for scheduled tribes, the minister said in another written reply.
KVs have over 14 lakh students enrolled in 1249 schools across the country.