GUWAHATI: Very soon under a proposed law, it will become mandatory for a teacher in Assam to serve in his first place of posting for 10 years before seeking a relocation.

Assam government officials who recommend and approve transfers of schoolteachers will face three years rigorous imprisonment if they are found violating the clause.

Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the house on Tuesday, “We want to bring transfers of schoolteachers under a law and set up an accountability commission for teachers. We will bring a bill to regulate the transfer and posting of the school teachers and make the whole system a scientific one.”

“It will be made mandatory to serve in the particular district for ten years in the teacher’s first place of posting and only after that he will be eligible to apply for transfer to his home district or a district near his home. We will publish the list of vacancies available in each district and those who fulfilled the mandatory condition of 10 years of service can apply online for transfer. The transfer will be purely on merit,” Sarma said.

“But, mutual transfers will be kept out of the ambit of this proposed law,” Sarma added.

He said that all those teachers who taken transfers in last three years will be recalled to the original place of posting. “A special committee will be set up to screen the transfers made on extreme human conditions and teachers in such categories will not be touched.”

Sarma said, “If we don’t act in right way, the education system in the state will collapse.”

