Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday digitally ordered mass general transfers of school teachers through the online portal of Education Department, in line with the Teachers Transfer Policy-2019.With the touch of a button, the Chief Minister cleared the transfer of 10,099 teachers and volunteers to the station of their choice purely on merit basis. Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla was also present on the occasion.A total of 35,386 online applications were received from aspiring teachers and volunteers, of which 15,481 were found ineligible as they were found short of the prescribed parameters of the policy. The remaining 19,905 were found eligible for transfer. For the first time, Computer Teachers and various categories of Education Volunteers were brought into the ambit of the Teachers Transfer Policy.Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the unique teachers transfer policy has been instrumental in successfully achieving the goal of quality education through filling of vacant posts. This has helped in ensuring uninterrupted academic session, besides giving enormous job satisfaction to the teachers to work at the places of their choice exclusively on merit. He disclosed that the state Government would soon enact the Teachers Transfer Act for transfer of teachers, in place of the existing system of notification issued by the School Education Department.
The Chief Minister lauded various projects of the School Education Department for sprucing up infrastructure and improving the quality of education in government schools. Punjab, he pointed out, has pioneered several path-breaking initiatives to bring in qualitative improvement in school education. The Teachers Transfer Policy-2019 was also a major step in that direction.Under the online system, so far over 50 percent transfer applications have been approved with utmost transparency. As many as 10099 teachers, including 4405 masters, 3748 primary teachers and 718 lecturers, as well as adequate number of Computer teachers working under Punjab ICT Education Society (PICTES), have availed the benefit of the policy, apart from different categories of Education Volunteers and Education Providers working under ‘Smagra Sikhiya Abhiyan’.Detailing the process, an official spokesperson said the teachers aspiring for transfers need to apply on the department's portal,. Employees who are suffering from Cancer, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Sickle cell Anaemia, Thalassemia or on Dialysis, besides handicapped to the extent of 60 percent, divorcees, having differently baled or mentally challenged children, are exempted from submitting online transfer requests. Similarly, War widows, Widows of Martyrs, where death of the spouse makes it necessary for the serving employee to relocate to another place immediately and having children below 15 years of age or teachers who are spouses of armed force personnel posted in difficult areas, also need not submit their transfer request online. The orders in such cases would be issued with the approval of Chief Minister on merit.