The workforce in All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) has decreased by 3,186 between 2022-23 and now, leading to a vacancy rate of 64.58 per cent. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed a Parliamentary panel about this issue.
Currently, AIR and DD have a combined sanctioned strength of 45,791, but only 16,219 employees are on the rolls, leaving 29,572 vacancies. In 2022-23, there were 19,405 employees, resulting in a vacancy of 26,386.
The Ministry explained that regular retirements have left positions unfilled, with no fresh recruitment taking place. This has led to a shortage of young talent.
In AIR alone, the number of employees dropped from 12,613 to 10,265, against a sanctioned strength of 26,129, leaving 15,864 vacancies. Meanwhile, DD has 5,954 workers, down from 7,242 in 2022-23, with a sanctioned strength of 19,662, leaving 13,708 vacancies.
Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharati (operator of AIR & DD), told the media that staff shortages have been a long-standing issue. When Prasar Bharati was formed in 1997, two-thirds of the 46,000 posts were filled, but vacancies have risen as employees have retired. A manpower audit was conducted in 2020, but no progress was made due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A roadmap for manpower management is currently being developed with a new policy in the works.
The Ministry also revealed that DD faces staff shortages in programme, engineering, and administrative roles. Promotions have been delayed, and direct recruitment has halted due to the separation of recruitment processes.
To manage the shortage, Prasar Bharati has been redeploying existing staff and hiring on a short-term contract basis for daily tasks and production work in both AIR and DD.
