Bengaluru, March 23 Karnataka School Education and Literacy Minister S Madhu Bangarappa introduced two bills in the assembly on Monday, seeking to protect government educational lands and streamline the teacher transfer process.
The Karnataka Government Educational Institution's Lands (Protection and Regularisation) Bill, 2026, aims to protect lands used by government schools and pre-university colleges by providing for the state to be deemed to own such properties if they have been in continuous use for over 12 years.
The Bill prohibits legal claims and proceedings over such lands beyond this period, while allowing a limited window for genuine claims through a grievance redressal mechanism.
It also enables the issuance of vesting certificates as conclusive proof of ownership, mandates the maintenance of a land register, and empowers authorities to prevent encroachments and coordinate with various departments to secure educational institution properties.
It further recognizes long-standing use of land for educational purposes as a valid public purpose even in the absence of formal documentation.
The Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduces key changes to the existing transfer policy by defining 'critical posts' across schools and pre-university institutions and prioritising transfers to such posts.
The amendment provides for transfers to certain posts only through counselling, prescribes a minimum service period of 12 years for eligibility and a maximum tenure of three years in specified positions, and bars the transfer of teachers to non-teaching roles in government departments and institutions.
It also introduces provisions allowing request transfers subject to the availability of critical posts, mandates a minimum 10-year service in the Kalyana Karnataka region for teachers seeking transfer outside the region, and extends certain benefits to women teachers, including those who are pregnant or have children below five years of age.
Both Bills are aimed at strengthening governance in the education sector by ensuring legal clarity over institutional lands and bringing greater transparency and structure to teacher transfers.