Nearly 35% of AIIMS, Delhi’s faculty positions are open

AIIMS Recruitment: According to the institute, only 110 applicants applied for the 172 assistant professor positions it posted in 2019.

The top healthcare institution, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in Delhi, has announced that about 35% of its professor positions are unfilled. The AIIMS-Delhi faculty cell’s administrative officer responded to a question under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by stating that, out of the institute’s authorized 1,235 faculty seats, 430 were open.

RTI activist M M Shuja submitted the application in January of this year in order to obtain information regarding the operations of AIIMS Delhi. On March 18, the applicant received the information from the institute. According to the institute, only 110 applicants applied for the 172 assistant professor positions it posted in 2019.

Out of the 270 open positions that were advertised, only 173 assistant professors and three associate professors joined the College of Nursing in 2021 and 2022. According to the report, there was no hiring for regular faculty positions in 2020, 2023, 2024, or the first three months of the current year.

Impact on Medical Education and Services

The shortage of faculty members has put additional pressure on existing staff, who are often stretched thin between teaching, research, and hospital duties. AIIMS-Delhi, known for its rigorous academic environment and high patient load, depends heavily on its faculty for maintaining quality standards across its functions.

Students and residents have raised concerns that the faculty crunch is affecting academic guidance, research mentorship, and hands-on training. “With fewer professors available, we often have to wait longer for rounds, feedback, or research supervision,” said a senior postgraduate student.

A Systemic Issue

This is not an isolated problem. Many government-run medical institutions across the country face similar challenges. The reasons for these vacancies include bureaucratic delays in recruitment, lack of competitive salaries compared to private hospitals, and the migration of talent abroad or to private institutions.

In some cases, posts are sanctioned but not advertised for recruitment due to procedural red tape. Furthermore, AIIMS has often been reliant on short-term contractual faculty to bridge the gap, a move seen by many as unsustainable.

What Lies Ahead

As India continues to expand its medical education infrastructure, including the opening of several new AIIMS-like institutes, ensuring adequate and qualified faculty remains a critical challenge. Unless proactive measures are taken, the country risks weakening the very foundation of its healthcare education system.