Srinagar, Sep 6: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has proposed a comprehensive transfer policy for Rehbar e Taleem teachers, Grade II and Grade III teachers, prescribing a minimum three year tenure at a place of posting and a maximum stay of five years.
According to a report published by Greater Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Regularized Teachers (RReTs) Transfer Policy 2026 has been issued as a draft for objections and suggestions. The proposed framework seeks to introduce need based and student centric transfers, rationalise staff deployment and improve administrative efficiency.
Under the draft, an RReT, Grade II or Grade III teacher would ordinarily have to complete three years at a place of posting before becoming eligible for transfer. However, exceptions have been proposed on compassionate and other exceptional grounds.
“No teacher would ordinarily be allowed to remain at a single place of posting for more than five years. On completion of the maximum tenure, the teacher would become liable for transfer in the interest of administration,” the draft reads, according to the report.
The department has proposed an Annual Transfer Drive once a year, preferably after the end of the academic session and before the beginning of the new session, with the stated objective of minimising disruption to teaching activities.
“Mid session transfers would be avoided except in cases involving serious medical grounds, security concerns or administrative exigencies,” the draft states.
The proposed policy categorises transfers into administrative, mutual, security related and compassionate transfers. Inter district mutual transfers would be permitted between teachers belonging to the same cadre and having the same qualification, subject and status, subject to verification and approval by the competent authority.
Such transfers would ordinarily not be permitted within two years of an earlier transfer. Teachers transferred through the inter district mutual transfer mechanism would retain their lien and promotion prospects in their parent districts.
The draft also provides for special consideration in cases involving serious personal or family circumstances. These include life threatening medical conditions, disability, widowhood, single parenthood and spouse unification, particularly where both spouses are government employees serving in different areas.
Security related deployments would be considered by the Administrative Department after following the prescribed procedure. The policy also proposes that Cluster Heads make suitable internal arrangements where teachers are deployed on compassionate or security grounds so that school functioning is not affected.
A separate provision has been proposed for teachers belonging to reserved categories, with the draft seeking to ensure that their mandatory stay period under the applicable reservation policy is completed while processing transfers.
The policy proposes a 10 day grievance redressal window at the level of the Joint Director after transfer orders are issued. It also seeks to restrict frequent transfers by providing that an employee should ordinarily not be transferred again within two years of the previous transfer unless required because of administrative exigency.
“Employees facing disciplinary proceedings would generally not be considered for transfer, except where their transfer is required in the interest of inquiry or administration,” the draft states.
A significant provision concerns RReTs who have not yet attained regularisation. According to the report, such teachers would continue at their originally assigned place or zone, keeping in view the nature of their initial engagement.
“However, once RReTs attain regularisation or are placed as Grade II or Grade III teachers, they would be governed fully by the proposed Transfer Policy,” the document states.
The draft also proposes a clear separation between RReTs, Grade II and Grade III teachers and General Line Teachers. Transfers would ordinarily remain confined within the respective categories, with RReTs transferred to RReT posts, Grade II teachers to Grade II posts and Grade III teachers to Grade III posts.
“Transfers would take place between RReTs to RReTs, Grade II to Grade II and Grade III to Grade III, with no transfers of any kind between GLTs and ReT teachers, except those who have already been transitioned and adjusted against regular and substantive posts,” the draft reads.
The department has further proposed decentralisation of certain transfer powers while retaining control over inter district movements. Transfers within the same zone would be ordered by the concerned Zonal Education Officer after approval from the Chief Education Officer, while transfers between zones within a district would be ordered by the Chief Education Officer after approval from the Joint Director.
“Inter district transfers and deployments would be ordered only by the Administrative Department on recommendations of the concerned director,” according to the draft cited by GK.
The proposed policy is to be reviewed every five years, or earlier if required, along with periodic assessment of teacher deployment to ensure rationalisation and effective implementation.
The provisions are part of a draft policy and are therefore subject to changes following consideration of objections and suggestions.
