-Dipta Joshi

In Maharashtra, as many as 3943 government-run zilla parishad teachers faced inter-district transfers. The transfers were completed within 31 hours using the state government’s new online automated teacher transfer software system. The state’s Palghar district has witnessed a maximum number of teacher transfers at 498 transfers while Nagpur district witnessed the least number of teacher transfers at 11. 

For years Maharashtra’s teacher transfers process has been riddled with allegations of graft due to the lack of transparency in such transfers undertaken by the departments. In March 2020, the Maharashtra government set up a committee chaired by Auyush Prasad, CEO, of Pune Zilla Parishad to recommend suggestions to conduct transparent inter-state teacher transfers.

 The Online Teacher Transfer (OTT) programme took a year to be drafted and another six months to be tested and get certified.  The new system links data between the districts and computes decisions on the basis of government-drafted rules laid down in the government resolution of April 7, 2021.

“Such a large number of transfers could take place because of the chain that this software can create between districts. Once the transfer order is issued, it would be up to the chief executive officer (CEO) of each district to relieve the said teacher to join the new district.  Section.26 of the Right to Education Act, 2009  stipulates zilla parishad schools cannot have more than 10 percent vacancies,” says Auyush Prasad, CEO, Zilla Parishad, Pune.

The inter-district transfer process began Saturday (August 20) and continued until Sunday (August 21) for 31 hours. The actual names and orders of transferred teachers were published and emailed to the designated teacher on Monday (August 22) after rural development and panchayati raj minister Girish Mahajan inaugurated the new software. Teachers would now be able to download their orders by logging into the system.   

Also read: Pune Zilla Parishad to assess schools for quality of education