Bihar High Court Halts Teachers' Transfer Policy, Why Are Teachers Opposing the New Policy?

The Patna High Court has stayed Bihar's teacher transfer and posting policy after a petition by Aurangabad teachers. During the hearing on Tuesday, Justice Prabhat Kumar Singh granted the state government three weeks to respond, scheduling the next hearing for January 21, 2025.

Patna High Court Stays Bihar Teacher Transfer Policy

Teachers opposed the policy, citing unfair practices, including choice-based options favoring female teachers at the village level while limiting male teachers to subdivisions. The policy, aimed at streamlining transfers, faced criticism for procedural irregularities. Over 1.2 lakh teachers had applied under the policy, now delayed due to the court’s intervention, with its future pending further review.

Teachers’ Opposition to the Policy

The petitioners argued that the state government’s policy is arbitrary and misleading, particularly in its approach to offering choices for transfer. According to the petition, female teachers are allowed to select specific villages within their panchayats, while male teachers are limited to options at the subdivision level. Teachers claim this differentiation is unfair and has led to confusion.

The petition further alleged that the government is not adhering to proper procedures for processing transfer applications. Teachers argue that the policy creates unnecessary hurdles and misguides them under the pretext of choice-based transfers.

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Background of the Policy

The Bihar government recently introduced changes to its teacher transfer policy and began accepting applications for the same. As of now, over 1.2 lakh teachers have applied for transfers. The process involves categorizing positions based on applications and finalizing postings accordingly. Initially, the government planned to complete the entire transfer and posting process by December 2024, with teachers expected to report to their new schools after the Christmas break.

 Legal Developments

On November 18, 2024, Aurangabad teachers filed a petition opposing the policy, which led to Tuesday’s hearing. The court's stay temporarily halts the implementation of the policy, delaying the transfer and posting process for thousands of teachers.

The next hearing will determine the policy’s fate and whether the government can address the grievances raised by the teachers.