With transfer rules in a tangle, newly appointed assistant professors awaiting placement for over four months

The placement of newly appointed assistant professors through the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has been halted for four months. This follows objections raised against the Special Transfer Guidelines issued by the Collegiate Education Department on February 26, 2024, by assistant professors who are already in service.

What is the issue?

A total of 1,242 vacant posts of assistant professor in government first-grade colleges were taken up to be filled through the KEA, and the government issued appointment orders for candidates who have been selected for 1,208 posts in 26 subjects. Meanwhile, the Collegiate Education Department issued Special Transfer Guidelines to create vacancies for the placement of the newly appointed assistant professors.

According to the Karnataka State Civil Services (Transfer of College Education Department Teaching Staff) Rules, 2021, newly appointed assistant professors will be allocated to ‘E’ zone colleges as per the available workload. In case the required number of vacancies are not available in the ‘E’ zone, those working in the ‘E’ zone will be transferred to ‘D’, ‘C’, ‘B’, and ‘A’ zones (A being urban and corporation areas) to create vacancies.

In the guidelines, the department has abandoned the criterion that assistant professors should have served in their present posting for at least three years to be transferred. Following this, many with less than a year of service have also been considered for special transfer, drawing the ire of many.

The department had released a list of around 1,200 assistant professors currently working in the ‘E’ zone for transfer, which includes 21 with less than one year of service there, 190 with less than two years of service, and around 10 with less than three years. These people opposed the new guidelines and submitted objections.

The department then revised the schedule of transfer counselling and extended the date for submitting the objections in February 2024. While the model code of conduct for the parliamentary elections impeded any further process, the department has not taken any action regarding the transfer process even after results are out.

Rules will be amended

Srikar M.S., Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, told The Hindu:, “According to the Karnataka State Civil Services (Transfer of College Education Department Teaching Staff) Rules, 2021, initial appointment of assistant professors in the department should start from the ‘E’ zone only. However, a case is pending in the High Court that might have an impact on the overall appointment system… We have decided to seek the opinion of the Advocate-General to amend the rule of minimum length of service before transfer. Depending on his opinion, the government will consider the next step,” he said.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed assistant professors have demanded that the government to give them placement immediately.