Jammu, September 6: The School Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has issued a draft Transfer Policy for Regularised Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers (RReTs), Grade-II and Grade-III Teachers, inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders.

The draft policy aims to establish a uniform, need-based and student-centric framework for teacher transfers, with provisions for staff rationalisation, administrative efficiency and equitable teacher deployment. It also states that the rights of General Line Teachers are to be safeguarded.

According to the draft, the minimum tenure for an RReT teacher is ordinarily three years, while no teacher is ordinarily to continue at one place of posting beyond five years. Transfers are proposed to be conducted through an Annual Transfer Drive, with mid-session transfers generally avoided except in exceptional circumstances.

The policy also provides for administrative, rationalisation, disciplinary, mutual, compassionate and security-related transfers, along with provisions for grievance redressal.

A key provision attracting attention is Point No. 16, which states that transfers shall occur between RReTs, Grade-II to Grade-II and Grade-III to Grade-III Teachers. It further provides safeguards for General Line Teachers and RT Teachers, including those who have been transitioned and adjusted against regular/substantive posts.

The provision has raised a practical concern among teachers regarding transfer opportunities to schools where the available sanctioned vacancy may belong to the General Line cadre. The draft, as presently worded, does not clearly provide a general transfer pathway from RReT/Grade-II/Grade-III posts to General Line posts.

Teachers are therefore seeking clarification and consideration of a transparent, vacancy-based mechanism for eligible regularised teachers, wherever their prescribed qualification and subject eligibility match a sanctioned teaching vacancy and such consideration is permissible under the applicable service and cadre rules.

The demand is being framed as a request for fair consideration and not as a claim for automatic cadre conversion, promotion or displacement of existing General Line Teachers.

The draft policy also includes provisions relating to inter-district mutual transfers, compassionate grounds, security grounds, reserved-category stay periods, grievance redressal and review of the policy.

The School Education Department has invited stakeholders to submit their objections and suggestions for consideration before the policy is finalised.