NEW DELHI: Amid claims raised in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Standing Committee over alleged arbitrary transfers of teachers, officials from the education department said the issue on the ground is not a shortage of staff but transfer requests driven by demography, distance and political pressure.
Officials said that while most zones in Delhi currently have surplus teachers, transfer demands remain heavily skewed. “Most requests are towards Najafgarh and Narela zones and away from Shahdara zones,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
According to official data, MCD schools have an overall surplus of around 200–300 teachers, with almost all zones reporting excess staff except one or two. Total student enrolment across MCD schools stands at about 6.58 lakh, while actual attendance is lower at around 6.3–6.4 lakh due to migration, dropouts, and absenteeism.
Despite this, the department receives 20–25 transfer applications daily. “Nearly 90 per cent of these requests originate from Shahdara North and South zones, with teachers seeking postings in Najafgarh, Narela or Rohini,” another official said. “The issue is not vacancies, it is convenience.”
Officials said the real need is proper teacher rationalisation, particularly in Trans-Yamuna areas comprising Shahdara North and South zones, where imbalances persist despite surplus staffing.
The problem, they said, has its roots in the trifurcation of the erstwhile MCD into North, South and East bodies. East Delhi had the highest vacancies then, and teachers recruited after 2019—many from Haryana districts such as Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Faridabad—were posted there due to availability rather than choice. Even after reunification of the MCD, the imbalance continued.
Meanwhile, some of the city’s largest and most overcrowded schools in areas such as Shahdara, Mustafabad, Sonia Vihar and Rajiv Nagar remain understaffed. These schools often run double shifts with student strength exceeding 3,000 but are among the least preferred postings due to congestion, safety concerns and poor transport access. “Many female teachers avoid such postings, especially evening shifts, due to safety concerns,” an official said.
Medical and compassionate grounds further complicate the process. Officials said nearly 90 per cent of requests cite pregnancy, disability, small children or serious illness, making rejections difficult. Contractual teachers, who are typically transferred within short distances, also resist relocation, often with political backing.
Attempts to regulate transfers through policy have had limited impact. In 2022, MCD restricted transfers from zones with more than 200 vacancies, but officials said such measures provide only temporary relief.
“Rationalisation remains the need of the hour, especially in Trans-Yamuna areas,” an official said, adding that “implementing it on the ground is extremely difficult.”
Medical grounds further complicate process
Medical and compassionate grounds further complicate the process. Officials said nearly 90 per cent of requests cite pregnancy, disability, small children or serious illness, making rejections difficult. Contractual teachers, who are typically transferred within short distances, also resist relocation, often with political backing. Attempts to regulate transfers through policy have had limited impact.
This story is reported by Aditi Ray Chowdhury of The New Indian Express.
