WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has notified a comprehensive new Transfer Policy for its employees, replacing all previous orders on the subject and introducing a structured framework for transfers, postings, staff rationalisation and tenure across educational institutions in the Union Territory.
The policy was notified through Government Order No. 335-JK(Edu) of 2026 dated August 20, 2026, issued by the Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, School Education Department.
The policy covers Teachers, Masters, Lecturers, Headmasters, Principals, Zonal Education Officers and equivalent posts, as well as Chief Education Officers and equivalent officers serving under the School Education Department.
Under the new framework, educational institutions have been divided into five broader Annual Transfer Drive (ATD) Zones. Zones I, II and III will ordinarily have a three-year tenure, while employees posted in Zone-IV will normally serve two years and those in Zone-V one year at a particular institution.
The policy states that employees will ordinarily be rotated across these broader ATD Zones according to prescribed tenure norms. Transfers within the same Educational Zone will ordinarily not be permitted, while transfers between educational zones falling within the same broader ATD Zone may be allowed subject to administrative requirements and availability of vacancies.
The policy gives special emphasis to difficult and remote areas. An employee completing the prescribed tenure in Zone-V will be deemed to have fulfilled the service obligation in the difficult area and will ordinarily be relieved for further posting.
The completion of prescribed tenure in Zone-V will also provide an employee a preferential claim for consideration against suitable vacancies in Zones-I or II, subject to administrative requirements.
The policy further provides that employees promoted to higher posts shall ordinarily be considered for placement in Zones III, IV or V, while new appointees are also to be posted in Zones III, IV and V as far as practicable.
The department will maintain an updated electronic database containing posting history, tenure, service particulars and transfer records of employees.
Transfers and postings will ordinarily be processed through a designated Online Transfer Portal, with the annual transfer schedule to be notified at the conclusion of each academic session.
The policy also introduces an online, point-based Transfer Assessment Matrix intended to ensure fair, transparent and objective determination of transfer priorities. The matrix is to determine relative priority among employees seeking transfers and will not, by itself, operate as a universal eligibility criterion.
According to the assessment matrix, service rendered in Zone-V carries the highest weightage. An employee completing the prescribed tenure gets five points, followed by three points for the first completed year beyond the mandatory tenure, four additional points for the second year and five additional points for the third year, subject to a maximum of 25 points.
Service in Zone-IV carries three points for completing the prescribed tenure, one additional point for the first year beyond mandatory tenure, two additional points for the second year and three for the third year, with a maximum of 15 points.
The matrix also awards five points for employees aged 55 years or above, five points to female employees who are widows, divorcees or single parents, and up to 10 points for persons with benchmark disabilities. Spouses serving in government and posted in the same district are also entitled to five points.
National or State Teacher Award recipients, demonstrated exceptional academic performance and certain serious medical conditions also feature in the preferential criteria.
The policy provides for compassionate and priority transfers in cases involving severe medical conditions, benchmark disabilities, single parents, widowhood, security concerns and other exceptional humanitarian circumstances.
Special consideration has also been provided where both spouses are government employees, with efforts to post them suitably or within reasonable proximity, subject to availability of posts.
Employees due to retire within one year may preferably be posted near their residence. Employees aged 58 years and above will ordinarily not be posted to Zone-IV or Zone-V unless compelling administrative considerations or the employee’s request necessitate such posting.
The policy also provides consideration to single parents, widows, divorcees, female employees and employees having children with benchmark disabilities.
Inter-cadre or mid-term transfers may also be considered on exceptional medical or security-related grounds involving an employee, spouse or dependent children. Such transfers will ordinarily be approved for a period not exceeding two years, subject to prescribed documentation and recommendations of the designated committee.
The policy lays down an indicative annual transfer cycle. Publication of anticipated vacancies and staffing positions is scheduled for April, followed by submission of applications and posting preferences in May.
Provisional eligibility and merit lists are to be published in June, followed by examination of representations and publication of final merit lists. Transfer and posting orders are scheduled for June-July.
For the second cycle indicated in the policy, the corresponding months are October, November, December, January and January-February respectively. The Administrative Department may revise these timelines for academic, administrative, judicial or other compelling reasons.
The policy links transfers with staff rationalisation and institutional requirements. Surplus staff identified through rationalisation may be redeployed to institutions facing shortages, irrespective of the employee’s period of stay at the existing place of posting.
Rationalisation is to take into account pupil-teacher ratios, subject-specific requirements, enrolment, geographical accessibility, academic requirements and other relevant parameters.
The department has also directed that rationalisation should not ordinarily completely deplete teaching staff from any institution or adversely affect teaching of core subjects.
The policy’s Annexure-B defines the five zones based on distance from district headquarters.
Zone-I covers institutions within municipal limits of district headquarters, while Zone-II includes institutions outside municipal limits and up to 20 kilometres from the district headquarters.
Zone-III covers institutions beyond 20 kilometres and up to 40 kilometres from district headquarters. Zone-IV comprises institutions beyond 40 kilometres that require a change of residence.
Zone-V has been identified as the difficult-area category. It includes specified educational zones in Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri, Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Kupwara, Bandipora, Anantnag and Baramulla, including areas such as Warwan, Paddar, Mahore, Chassana, Khowas, Malhar, Bani, Bhalesa, Gool, Khari, Karnah, Kralpora, Kupwara, Machil, Tremgham, Gurez, Aishmuqam and Uri.
The policy also establishes a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism at the institution, district and Union Territory levels. Representations are to be disposed of, as far as practicable, within 15 days of receipt, while the Union Territory-level Transfer Review Committee’s decision will ordinarily be final, subject to statutory remedies.
The new framework, according to the government order, is aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of staff, improving administrative efficiency, addressing manpower imbalances and safeguarding uninterrupted academic functioning across Jammu and Kashmir’s schools.
