ITANAGAR, 28 Jul: The Arunachal Teachers’ Association (ATA) has urged the state government to reconsider the mass transfer and posting of teachers in the mid-session and make it effective from the next academic session instead.
The apex body of the school teachers in the state said that the order has been issued in contravention of the existing transfer and posting policy.
The education department on 20 July issued transfer orders to 203 teachers.
Stating that it does not oppose teachers’ transfers and postings, the ATA stated in a representation to the education minister that, as per the transfer calendar sub-clause (ii) (f), all transfer-related cases and processes should be completed by 31 May of the academic session.
The ATA stated that, while the government issued the mass transfer of teachers during mid-session, “the process of settling down of transfer and posting may take another month or so, which will hamper the academic activities of schools, thereby adversely affecting the students’ academic studies.”
It stated that the mass transfer of teachers should be made in between 1 April and 31 May, 2026, and that advance transfer and travelling allowance may be provided to all the transferred teachers.
The ATA further stated that proper station seniority, medical cases, spouse joint posting, children’seducation, and lady teachers, etc, were not properly verified and maintained while issuing the order.
“Also, many head teachers (of GUPS/GPS), who were properly appointed as per the RTE Act 2010 have been transferred as normal teachers and BLOs (booth level officers) appointed by the district elections officer (DEO) were also transferred, which may hamper the coming panchayat/municipal election process,” it said.
It stated that although the state government can transfer any teacher to any place at any point of time as mentioned in Clause 15 of the Teachers Transfer and Posting Policy, 2025, such mass transfer of more than 200 teachers may not be considered administrative exigency in the middle of an academic session.
The ATA also appealed to the education minister to review Clause 14 (grievance redressal) of the Teachers Transfer and Posting Policy, 2025.
The ATA sought to know who to approach if an aggrieved teacher places his/her representation to the competent authority but his/her grievance is not considered.
“It is also clearly mentioned that the aggrieved teacher may consider the option to go to the court only after exhausting all available channels in the department; then should he/she bear the legal fees and other expenditure incurred by the department if he/she loses the case?” the ATA questioned.
“The department cannot infringe the fundamental rights of a teacher,” it said, adding that “if the department loses the case, then will the department bear the legal fees and other expenditure incurred upon the aggrieved teacher?”
“Law should be equal for all,” it stated in the representation.
The ATA requested the state government to look into the matter and reconsider mass transfer and posting of teachers, amend Clause 14 of the Teachers Transfer and Posting Policy, 2025, and omit the sentence “If a teacher files a case in the court but subsequently loses the case, then all the legal fees and other expenditure incurred by the department with regards to the case shall be borne by the teacher.”
