The applications of 648 teachers from the undivided Koraput region for transfers under the terminal illness quota expose a recurring crisis. The numbers are alarming – 219 from Koraput, 179 from Nabarangpur, and 125 each from Malkangiri and Rayagada.

If all or majority of cases are approved, these districts will again face acute teacher shortages. Bringing in teachers from outside only compounds the problem, while educated local youth remain unemployed or migrate elsewhere.

Remote and backward districts deserve a long-term solution. District-wise recruitment of teachers, if feasible, can ensure stability, improve retention ratio and safeguard the education of children.