Koraput: Concerns over an already strained teaching workforce in southern Odisha have intensified after as many as 648 teachers from the undivided Koraput region applied for transfers outside their districts under the Terminal Illness quota.

The applicants are from the four tribal-dominated districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Rayagada, where schools have long struggled with teacher vacancies and staffing shortages. Education stakeholders fear that if a significant number of these transfer requests are approved, teaching and learning activities in remote and tribal areas could be adversely affected.

Medical Board to verify transfer claims of teachers from Southern Odisha

According to an official communication issued by the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO), Koraput, a State Standing Medical Board will verify the genuineness of terminal illness claims made by teachers seeking intra-district and inter-district transfers.

The letter, addressed to the District Education Officers of Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri, states that medical examinations of applicants and the concerned patients will be conducted at S.L.N. Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, between July 2 and July 7, 2026.

District-wise, the number of teachers seeking transfers under the quota includes:

Koraput: 219 applicants
Nabarangpur: 179 applicants
Rayagada: 125 applicants
Malkangiri: 125 applicants

In addition, 32 teachers have applied for transfers within Koraput district, including 27 primary school teachers and five secondary school teachers under the intra-district category.

As per the schedule released by the medical board, examinations will be conducted on July 2 for Rayagada applicants, July 3 for Nabarangpur, July 4 for Malkangiri and July 6 for Koraput. Intra-district applicants from Koraput will be examined on July 7.

The CDM&PHO has made it mandatory for the concerned patient to be physically present before the Medical Board. Applicants must also submit copies of their transfer applications, identity documents, and original medical records along with supporting diagnostic reports. A designated officer from each District Education Office has been asked to remain present with the relevant application and medical documents throughout the verification process.

The large number of transfer applications has triggered concern within educational circles. With many schools in the tribal belt already functioning with inadequate teaching staff, educationists fear that approval of a substantial portion of these requests could further deepen the teacher shortage and impact classroom instruction in some of Odisha’s most remote regions.

The outcome of the Medical Board’s verification process is expected to play a crucial role in determining the scale of transfers and their potential impact on the school education system in southern Odisha.