Karnataka's draft teacher transfer rules propose compulsory 9-year tenures in KPS, other flagship schools

The Karnataka government has proposed changes to teacher transfers, giving priority to vacancies in critical posts, including Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) and other flagship schools.

The draft Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, provides for additional weighted marks for teachers serving in these posts, a proposed minimum stay of nine years, revised transfer limits and priority for medical and family-related cases.

The Department of School Education and Literacy notified the draft for public comment. The amendments seek to modify the 2020 Rules framed under the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) Act, 2020.

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Karnataka Govt Schools: ‘Critical posts’

Vacancies in critical posts, including KPS and other flagship schools, will be filled first at the educational block level, followed by district and divisional levels, subject to specified section 10 priorities. The draft states that “all available critical vacant positions at the Educational Block level shall be filled first”.

Teachers serving in critical posts will receive additional marks and have a proposed minimum stay of nine years.

The transfer score also includes one additional mark for every year beyond three years in the present school and cadre. Service of 180 days or more counts as a full year. The notification states: “The minimum stay period of service for a teacher in the critical posts is nine years.”

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Transfer limits proposed are as follows:

• Within district: 7%

• Zonal transfers: 4%

• Within division: 2%

• Outside a division: 2%

These limits and the 25% block-level vacancy cap will be calculated cadre-wise. Incoming transfers to critical posts will be exempt from these limits and the block vacancy percentage “until the exhaustion of vacancies”. The department's highlights also mention block-level vacancy exemptions for specified priority cases.

Teacher Transfer Rules: Medical priorities, relaxations

The draft grants transfer priority to teachers, or their spouse or child, with a terminal illness, a serious ailment requiring treatment unavailable within the taluk, or a disability of 40% or more. Specified conditions require a District Medical Board certificate, subject to verification by a Divisional Special Committee of specialist doctors. Its findings must be considered by the competent authority. Pregnant teachers and women teachers with children below five years are also eligible for priority, subject to supporting documents.

Teachers transferred through excess staff rationalisation , zonal transfers or promotions that changed their working educational block within the same district, as well as those covered under Section 10 priority categories (i), (ii) and (ii-a), are exempt from specified conditions under Rules 18, 21 and 22.

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The department's highlights also mention block-level vacancy relaxations for certain medical cases and teachers who received excess transfers or promotions in the previous year.

The draft also provides for cadre-wise online counselling based on priority lists. Primary and secondary teacher cadres will be covered. The department's separate highlights extend counselling to District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), teacher training institutes (TTI), district, divisional and state-level posts. They specify 12 years of service to opt for DIET and state-level posts, followed by a minimum three-year stay and compulsory transfer.

Non-teaching posts, vacancies and objections

The draft adds a Schedule covering 21 categories of non-teaching posts, including assistants, superintendents, stenographers, typists, office attenders, drivers, technicians, librarians, cooks, gardeners and Group D employees. Equivalent posts and other categories notified by the State Government are also included.

After redeployment, the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) will notify taluk-wise vacancies. The draft states that the officer “shall notify the taluk-wise vacant positions in the District”. Vacancies covered by the proviso to Section 2(d) will be filled only through counselling.

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The DDPI or respective head of office will also publish transfer lists and invite applications, giving eligible teachers an opportunity to claim priority. The draft states they “shall be provided an opportunity to claim priority in accordance with the Act”.

Teachers holding sanctioned posts declared superfluous before their transfer or rollback will not qualify for Rule 10 exemptions, irrespective of priority claims. The draft states they “shall not be eligible for any exemption under rule 10 not withstanding any claim”. The Block Education Officer or respective authority must reject such claims. Teachers in posts listed under serial number III of Schedule I can claim only the priorities under Section 10.

According to the notification, objections and suggestions can be submitted within 15 days of publication in the official gazette to the additional chief secretary, department of school education and literacy.