In 2019 and 2020, the most recent years for which data is available, vacancies in central agencies excluding the armed forces have touched 10 lakh, more than doubling over the previous four years. An analysis of data from the department of expenditure’s annual reports on pay and allowances shows that in 2020 there were nearly 8.9 lakh civilian vacancies in the central government and another 1.1 lakh in central police forces that come under the home ministry. In 2019 too there were over 10 lakh unfilled positions.
Data on vacancies for both central government civilian posts and central police forces is available since 2006 and shows that from 4.7 lakh in 2006, the unfilled positions saw a major jump in 2010 – two years after the 6th pay commission award was approved and remained at more or less the same level till 2013. The number then declined in 2014 and stayed at the reduced level till over the next two years. Since then, they have risen drastically though data was not available for 2017. Incidentally, the seventh pay commission was approved in 2016. From 4.7 lakh in 2016, vacancies crossed 7 lakh in 2018 and 10 lakh in 2019.
Data on civilian vacancies in the central government is available since 2001 and the numbers show that from 5.0% of sanctioned posts in 2001, the vacancies have increased to a staggering 21.7% in 2020. In absolute terms, against the sanctioned strength of just under 36.1 lakh positions in the central government, 1.8 lakh were vacant in 2001, which increased to nearly 8.9 lakh against the sanctioned strength of 40.8 lakh in 2020. The data shows that the vacancies saw a steady increase from 5.0% in 2001 to 16.2% in 2013 but dipped below 12% in 2014, 2015 and 2016. They then increased sharply to cross 20% in 2019 and 2020. The data on vacancies in the central police forces is available since 2006 and the numbers show that in 2006, there were 56,000 vacancies against the sanctioned strength of 7.2 lakh – a little below 8% of the available positions. By 2010, the vacancies crossed the 10% mark but then went down to touch 4.5% in 2015, from where it is steadily increasing and has again crossed the 10% figure in 2020.
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