HC laments over 36 percent faculty vacancies at AIIMS Nagpur

Nagpur: Expressing serious concern over 137 vacant posts out of 373 sanctioned faculty positions at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, the Bombay High Court observed that such a large-scale vacancy would adversely affect patient care and remarked that the institute's condition was 'worse than government hospitals.'

The observation was made by a division bench comprising Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode while taking note of a news report that published the faculty shortage based on information obtained under the RTI Act.

The Nagpur bench observed that 137 out of 373 sanctioned faculty posts at AIIMS Nagpur are vacant, which is nearly 36.7% of the total strength. The court stated that the condition of the institute appeared worse than that of government hospitals.

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter in January 2026 and directed that the issue be registered as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after an RTI application revealed that nearly four out of every 10 sanctioned faculty posts (around 40 percent) remain vacant across 11 AIIMS, including AIIMS Nagpur, where 36.7 percent posts remain unfilled, with 137 out of 373 sanctioned posts lying vacant.

Also read- Faculty shortage at AIIMS Nagpur: HC takes suo motu cognisance, orders PIL

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for AIIMS Nagpur argued that the institute had filled a considerable number of posts and was in a better position compared to some other AIIMS institutions.

Regarding this, the bench said merely pointing to deficiencies in other AIIMS institutions could not justify vacancies in Nagpur. "It cannot be defended by saying others are worse," the bench said, reports TOI. 

Following this, the court directed authorities to submit a detailed report on the vacant posts and also asked the Central government counsel to personally visit the institute and file a status report on the prevailing conditions.

Senior advocate Jugalkishore Gilda, who was appointed amicus curiae in the matter, was assisted by advocate Shaunak Kothekar.

The bench further stated, "Only inaugurating an institution with grandeur is not enough. Running it properly is more challenging and essential," the court remarked. It added that such hospitals are established to provide medical services to poor patients, and "they must be taken care of".

The AIIMS counsel informed that repeated advertisements were issued to fill positions, but several posts received no applications. In some cases, candidates applied but did not appear for interviews; in others, selected candidates did not join or later resigned. The counsel informed the court that higher-paying opportunities in the market reduced doctors' willingness to serve at the institute. 

The bench sought a comprehensive report on vacancies and adjourned the matter for further hearing.

Medical Dialogues recently reported on the faculty and non-faculty shortage at all AIIMS across the country, where nearly 19,561 posts, including 2,356 faculty positions and 17,205 non-faculty positions, are lying vacant across 20 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the country, the Union Health Ministry Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda informed the Lok Sabha.

Among all the AIIMS institutions, AIIMS New Delhi has reported the highest number of vacancies, with a total of 2,988 posts lying vacant, including 446 faculty posts and 2,542 non-faculty posts. The next is AIIMS Rishikesh, which has 1,270 vacant posts, comprising 126 faculty and 1,144 non-faculty positions.

AIIMS Patna has 1,218 vacancies, including 86 faculty posts and 1,132 non-faculty posts, followed by AIIMS Raipur with 1,174 vacant posts, of which 105 are faculty and 1,069 are non-faculty positions and AIIMS Bhubaneswar, with 1,125 total vacancies, including 99 faculty posts and 1,026 non-faculty posts, among others.

Also read- 2,356 faculty posts vacant across 20 AIIMS institutes, 446 in AIIMS New Delhi: Health Minister tells Parliament