Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the large-scale transfer of teachers in the middle of the academic session, especially with board examinations scheduled to begin in less than 20 days.
Justice Sameer Jain’s bench questioned the state government on the policy under which such transfers are being carried out and summoned the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary, Education, to appear before the court on January 23 to explain the decision.
The court passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Maina Garhwal and Mahesh Kumar.
Their counsel, advocate Sandeep Kalwaniya, informed the bench that transfers in government schools are traditionally undertaken from July 1 each year. However, since August 3, the government has transferred more than 12,000 senior teachers, school lecturers, and principals.
The petitioners pointed out that although transfers are officially banned in the state, the government has been issuing special permissions to carry out mass transfers without a clearly defined or transparent policy.
The court was told that this has caused widespread disruption in schools, affecting both teachers and students.
The issue has gained urgency as board examinations are scheduled to commence on February 12. The petitioners argued that shifting teachers and principals at such a critical time is adversely impacting academic continuity and students’ preparation for examinations.
The High Court also referred to its earlier reportable order in which it had raised serious questions about the absence of a comprehensive transfer policy in Rajasthan, the practice of mid-session transfers, and the functioning of the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal (RCAT).
In its observations, the court noted that most states lack a structured transfer policy for government employees, including teachers, but emphasised that the state is expected to ensure good governance in line with constitutional principles.
The court’s summons signals closer judicial scrutiny of the government’s transfer decisions and their impact on the education system.
(IANS)
