Chandigarh, November 18, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – The Punjab state’s education landscape is set for a major reset as the Education Department moves ahead with a sweeping promotion drive triggered by recent amendments to the 2018 service rules. The overhaul has cleared long-standing bottlenecks and set the stage for more than 2,300 teachers to step into higher roles across various cadres, promising a stronger administrative structure in schools.
Officials said the department has almost finished allotting stations for 1,200 newly promoted lecturers, while the exercise to elevate 650 lecturers to the post of principal is underway. A senior functionary confirmed that the revised rules have sharply expanded promotion avenues by increasing the quota from 50 to 75 percent, with some categories now eligible for up to 80 percent. This shift is expected to ease the chronic shortage of principals, headmasters and block primary education officers that has strained school functioning for years.
The 2018 rules had restricted promotions for several categories, including PTI (Elementary), Pre-Primary Teachers, Special Educator Teachers at both elementary and secondary levels, and Vocational Masters. With the latest revision, many of these stalled pathways have finally opened, giving long-awaited relief to thousands of educators.
Discontent among Headmasters
However, the decision has triggered discontent among headmasters. Democratic Teachers Front state president Vikram Dev Singh said the department had invited promotion cases for the rank of principal only from lecturers and vocational lecturers. He said this selective approach has left headmasters feeling sidelined and frustrated, as many had expected their cases to be considered after years of service. They demanded that the department must issue further clarifications as the promotion process moving into its final stages.
