The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, revered as India’s top medical and research institution, faces a critical challenge with over one-third of its faculty positions vacant.
An RTI response revealed that out of 1,235 sanctioned positions, 430 remain unfilled.
The hiring freeze has extended across years, with no regular recruitment drives conducted in 2020, 2023, 2024, or the first quarter of 2025. Experts are sounding alarms about the potential repercussions this may have on the institute’s academic excellence and healthcare delivery, given its pivotal role in training medical students and treating thousands of patients annually.
The last significant recruitment occurred in 2019, but a substantial gap exists between advertised positions and actual hires. Only 110 candidates joined the 172 posts advertised that year, and subsequent drives in 2021 and 2022 yielded similarly underwhelming results, with just 176 new appointments.
AIIMS Delhi has not shared details about upcoming recruitment plans, leaving stakeholders concerned about its operational capabilities amidst mounting pressures on existing faculty and students.
