One in four Kendriya Vidyalayas without full-time principal; leadership gap widens in 8 years

4 min readNew DelhiJul 31, 2026 02:40 PM IST Ministry said that wherever the post of principal is vacant, KVS regional offices make alternative arrangements by assigning charge to vice-principals or the senior-most teachers as in-charge principalsNearly one in four Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the country is functioning without a regular principal, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Education in Parliament earlier this week. The data on school teacher vacancies and on full-time or grade-II principals points to a widening gap in the country’s largest network of central schools despite multiple recruitment drives over the years. The ministry informed Parliament that of the 1,356 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas, only 1,012 have regular principals or grade-II principals. This m