Haryana notifies Teacher Transfer Policy-2026; Five-year stay in school made maximum tenure

The Haryana Government on Thursday notified the Teacher Transfer Policy-2026, introducing a comprehensive online, merit-based transfer mechanism for government school teachers.The policy, notified by the School Education Department through an Extraordinary Gazette, aims to ensure optimum utilisation of teachers through a transparent system designed to improve administrative efficiency, enhance teacher satisfaction and strengthen public service delivery.The new policy repeals the Teacher Transfer Policy, 2025 and will govern future transfer drives for all notified cadres.According to the notification issued by the Department of School Education, Panchkula, the policy will apply to teachers working on core posts, including Principals, Headmasters, Elementary School Headmasters, PGTs, TGTs, C&V Teachers, Head Teachers, PRTs, and Guest Teachers covered under the policy.Separate provisions have also been prescribed for teachers serving in the Mewat cadre.A key feature of the new policy is the introduction of minimum and prescribed tenure.A teacher who completes one year at a school will become eligible to participate voluntarily in the transfer drive, while five years of continuous service in the same school has been prescribed as the maximum tenure, making participation in the transfer process mandatory.For the purpose of transfer, a school will constitute the unit for calculating tenure.The government has introduced a 120-point merit system for determining the ranking of teachers during transfers. Of these, 30 points each have been allocated for age and experience in the cadre, while the remaining 60 points are reserved for special factors.These include women teachers, couple cases, spouses of serving military or paramilitary personnel, teachers suffering from specified debilitating diseases, differently-abled teachers and teachers having differently-abled children.Negative marks will be awarded to teachers who are under the currency of a major disciplinary penalty.The policy provides a Protected Category for teachers due to retire within 18 months from the qualifying date, teachers undergoing treatment for cancer or dialysis, those who have undergone bypass heart surgery during the previous two years or organ transplantation, teachers having 70 per cent or more disability, and widows having their youngest child up to 10 years of age.Such teachers will be assigned 120 merit points, ensuring the highest priority in the transfer process. The entire transfer exercise will be conducted through the Department's MIS Portal.Teachers will first update and authenticate their service and personal records, after which the department will publish the merit list, tenure details and category-wise status.A structured mechanism has been provided for filing objections before District and State Level Committees prior to finalisation of the transfer process. The transfer process will be completed in multiple stages, including data verification, voluntary participation, rationalisation of posts, publication of vacancies, preference filling, unit allocation and issuance of transfer orders.The notification states that if a participating teacher does not submit preferences or is not allotted any preferred station, he or she may be posted anywhere within the district or the State, depending upon the jurisdiction of the cadre.The policy further provides that transfer orders will be implemented within 10 days after completion of the notified transfer drives.Aggrieved teachers may submit representations through the Sugam Sampark Portal within 15 days of joining their new place of posting, and such representations will be decided within 30 days.The government has also restricted manual transfers. During the online transfer drive, no transfer will ordinarily be undertaken. Outside the transfer cycle, manual transfers may be considered only on specified grounds such as serious medical conditions, death of an immediate family member or where less than one year of service remains before superannuation.The notification also empowers the Chief Minister to approve transfers or grant relaxation in the policy in public interest or on administrative grounds.Another significant safeguard provides that where a teacher is due to retire within one year from the date of generation of the final transfer order, such teacher shall not be transferred without his or her written consent.To encourage postings in difficult areas, the policy provides a financial incentive for teachers of the Rest of Haryana cadre who voluntarily opt for schools in Morni Block (Panchkula), Hathin Block (Palwal) and District Nuh.Eligible regular teachers will receive an additional amount equal to 10 per cent of Basic Pay plus Dearness Allowance, while eligible Guest Teachers will receive ₹10,000 per month, subject to prescribed conditions.The notification also warns against misuse of the transfer process. Teachers furnishing false information may be removed from the transfer drive and posted anywhere within their cadre jurisdiction.It further states that attempts to influence the transfer process through recommendations or other extraneous means may invite disciplinary action.