SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has placed its draft Transfer Policy-2026 in the public domain, proposing a zone-based tenure system, an online point-based transfer mechanism and special provisions for employees serving in difficult and inaccessible areas.
The department has invited comments, suggestions and objections from stakeholders and members of the public within 15 days.
The proposed policy will cover teachers, masters, lecturers, headmasters, principals, Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs), Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and equivalent posts serving under the School Education Department. It envisages maintaining an updated electronic database of employees’ posting history, tenure and transfer records, with transfers ordinarily processed through an online portal.
Under the proposed system, schools and educational institutions will be classified into five zones based on location and accessibility. Employees in Zones I, II and III will ordinarily have a three-year tenure at a particular institution, while the tenure will be two years in Zone IV and one year in Zone V. Employees who voluntarily opt to continue in Zones III, IV or V may be allowed to remain beyond the prescribed tenure.
The policy gives special emphasis to Zone V, comprising inaccessible areas of the Union Territory. Employees completing the prescribed tenure in Zone V would become due for immediate rotation outside the zone and would have a preferential claim for suitable vacancies in Zones I or II, subject to administrative requirements.
The draft also proposes that newly appointed employees be posted, as far as practicable, in Zones III, IV and V, while employees promoted to higher posts may also be considered for placement in these zones. Administrative officers, including CEOs, principals, headmasters and ZEOs, would ordinarily have a two-year tenure at a station, extendable up to three years depending on administrative requirements.
For annual transfers, the department has proposed a Transfer Assessment Matrix under which employees would receive points based on factors including service in inaccessible areas, age, certain social circumstances, benchmark disability, spouse’s government posting, awards, academic performance, serious illness and proximity to retirement.
Service in Zone V would carry four points for every completed year, subject to a maximum of 24 points, while service in Zone IV would carry two points per year, up to a maximum of 10 points. Employees aged 55 years or above would receive eight points, while serious illness requiring continued medical supervision would carry 10 points.
The draft provides for general, mutual, administrative, compassionate and priority transfers, besides special rotational transfers for employees serving in difficult and remote areas. Mutual transfers would be allowed between employees of the same cadre and comparable posts, subject to prescribed conditions and approval of the competent authority.
Special consideration has also been proposed for employees nearing retirement, those aged 58 years and above, single parents, widows, divorcees, female employees, persons with benchmark disabilities and employees whose spouses are in government service. Employees due to retire within six months would preferably be posted near their residence, while those aged 58 years or above would ordinarily not be posted to Zones IV or V except in compelling administrative circumstances.
The draft further provides for inter-cadre transfers in exceptional medical, security and marriage-related circumstances, subject to conditions including minimum service requirements and recommendations of a designated committee. Employees transferred under such provisions would retain their lien, seniority and promotional prospects in their parent cadre.
The annual transfer exercise is proposed to be conducted after the academic session, with an indicative schedule providing for publication of vacancies in April, submission of applications and preferences in May, publication of provisional and final merit lists in June and issuance of transfer orders in June-July.
However, transfers during the academic session would remain possible in exceptional circumstances, including subject-specific requirements, teacher performance, school results, enrolment patterns, staff imbalances and manpower rationalisation. The competent authority could also defer or modify a transfer if it is likely to adversely affect academic outcomes or public examinations.
The draft defines Zone I as institutions within municipal limits of district headquarters, Zone II as those up to 20 kilometres from district headquarters and Zone III as institutions located beyond 20 and up to 40 kilometres. Zone IV covers institutions beyond 40 kilometres requiring a change of residence, as well as schools without motorable road connectivity where the one-way walking distance from the nearest motorable road is seven kilometres or more. Zone V comprises notified inaccessible areas.
Among the areas proposed under Zone V are Marwah, Dachhan, Warwan and Paddar in Kishtwar; Mahore and Chassana in Reasi; Khwass in Rajouri; Malhar and Bani in Kathua; Bhaleesa in Doda; Gool and Khari in Ramban; and Karnah, Keran, Kralpora, Kupwara, Machil and Trehgam in Kupwara. Gurez in Bandipora and Aishmuqam in Anantnag are also listed, along with Uri in Baramulla.
The policy also proposes a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the institutional, district and Union Territory levels. Employees would first approach the lowest competent authority, with unresolved cases capable of being escalated. Representations are proposed to be disposed of, as far as practicable, within 15 days.
