Bihar Education Additional Chief Secretary Dr. S Siddharth Urges Teachers Not to Visit State Secretariat, Use e-Shiksha Kosh

Patna: Teachers across Bihar have been asked to refrain from visiting the state secretariat in Patna with complaints related to their transfers, as the influx is disrupting the routine functioning of the education department, according to a directive issued on June 25.

Dr. S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department, has written to all District Magistrates instructing them to ensure that teacher grievances are addressed at the district level through the existing mechanisms. He noted that when such systems are already in place, direct visits to the headquarters are “not appropriate” and create avoidable administrative bottlenecks.

He pointed out that the education department employs nearly 10 lakh personnel, and even a small fraction seeking redressal at the secretariat can overwhelm the system. Teachers reportedly attempt to personally contact officials at the state level, hindering departmental operations.

The letter clarifies that district-level Establishment Committees, chaired by the District Magistrate, are responsible for resolving intra-district issues. Only rare inter-district transfer cases are to be considered at the state level.

Teachers have been advised to register all complaints online via the e-Shiksha Kosh portal, which is monitored by state-nominated nodal officers. Dr. Siddharth emphasised that the portal serves as a structured digital platform for complaint registration and resolution. It is accessible to all teachers employed under the state government using individual logins.

According to the directive, complaints are addressed by the District Education Officer and reviewed by various departmental heads including the Directors of Primary and Secondary Education, the Director of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, and the Additional Chief Secretary himself. District officers are expected to upload compliance reports, which are periodically assessed by the Public Grievance Cell at the state level.