Prasar Bharati faces major staffing gaps, 30,000 unfilled positions

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is facing a staffing shortfall, with more than two-thirds of its sanctioned posts lying vacant. A recent review has reportedly revealed that out of 45,791 approved positions, as many as 30,221 remain unfilled, leaving Doordarshan and All India Radio heavily dependent on stop-gap arrangements.

According to media reports, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has flagged the issue as “perennial” and warned that the broadcaster’s efficiency is at risk. All India Radio alone is running with over 16,000 vacancies, while Doordarshan is short by nearly 14,000 staff. The panel noted that existing employees are overstretched, handling multiple responsibilities ranging from content and sales to legal and administrative work, in addition to running Prasar Bharati’s new OTT platform.

In response, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it had hired consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) to recommend a human resource overhaul. EY’s Phase-I report calls for a leaner organisation, proposing that the sanctioned strength be reduced to 14,902 posts — less than half the current size.

To make this shift, EY has suggested outsourcing non-core activities such as cleaning and transmitter maintenance, shutting down outdated services, closing 31 AIR channels and 78 transmitters, and stepping up automation across departments. During the transition, it has projected the need for around 8,000 additional staff on a temporary basis.

Even as it pushes for downsizing, EY has identified critical gaps that require immediate hiring. The firm has drawn up a recruitment plan for 3,130 posts to be filled in phases between April 2025 and December 2026. Most of these will be programme-related roles, while administrative and engineering functions will account for a smaller share.

Recruitment will be staggered over three timelines — short term (0–8 months), medium term (9–12 months) and long term (12 months and beyond). Any remaining vacancies after 2026 will be reviewed and filled as needed.

The restructuring exercise also seeks to prepare Prasar Bharati for a digital future. EY has recommended creating new roles in digital content management, OTT operations, compliance, marketing, and cross-platform strategy. This will involve both reskilling existing staff and inducting professionals with specialised expertise.

Phase-II of the plan, which will focus on training and change management, is expected to begin once approvals are secured from the Prasar Bharati Board, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, and the Department of Expenditure.

The Standing Committee has cautioned that delays in hiring could weaken Prasar Bharati’s ability to meet its public service mandate in an increasingly competitive media ecosystem. While the government has assured that restructuring will ultimately make the broadcaster “stronger and more agile,” for now the organisation remains stretched thin — managing daily operations with contractual staff while trying to reinvent itself for the digital age.