The Rajasthan High Court has raised serious concerns about the mass transfer of teachers in the middle of the academic session, particularly with board exams approaching in less than 20 days. Justice Sameer Jain’s bench has questioned the state government regarding the transfer policy and has summoned the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of Education to appear before the court on January 23 for clarification.
The court’s actions came during the hearing of a petition filed by Maina Garhwal and Mahesh Kumar. According to their counsel, advocate Sandeep Kalwaniya, while transfers in government schools typically occur from July 1 each year, over 12,000 senior teachers, school lecturers, and principals have been transferred since August 3. The petitioners highlighted that despite an official ban on transfers in the state, the government has been granting special permissions for mass transfers without a clear or transparent policy.
The petitioners emphasized that the ongoing transfers have led to significant disruptions in schools, impacting both teachers and students. With board exams set to start on February 12, they argued that moving teachers and principals at such a crucial time is negatively affecting academic continuity and students’ exam preparation. The High Court also referenced a previous order expressing concerns about the lack of a comprehensive transfer policy in Rajasthan, mid-session transfers, and the functioning of the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal (RCAT).
The court pointed out the absence of structured transfer policies for government employees, including teachers, in most states, stressing the state’s responsibility to ensure good governance in accordance with constitutional principles. The court’s summoning of government officials indicates a closer judicial examination of the impact of transfer decisions on the education system.
