SBI Clerk New Transfer Policy: Check Eligibility and Rules for SBI Clerk Inter-Circle and Inter-State Transfers
The State Bank of India (SBI) has released a new transfer policy for award staff/ junior associates (clerks) related to inter-circle/inter-state transfers. The Inter-Circle Transfer (ICT) / Inter-State Transfer (IST) was withdrawn for candidates recruited to the Clerical Cadre under Recruitment Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/2019-20/03 dated 12.04.2019 and all subsequent recruitment advertisements, to address staff shortage. Now, it has been decided to allow the facility of Inter-Circle / Inter-State Transfer for clerical staff.
These new rules apply to Junior Associates recruited pursuant to Advertisement No. CRPD/CR/2019-20/03 dated 12.04.2019 and onwards and shall not be governed by the existing ICT policy applicable to employees recruited before 13.01.2020. This means that SBI clerks recruited before 2020 have a different transfer policy, and SBI clerks recruited after 2020 have a different transfer policy.
An employee can avail of Inter-Circle Transfer, Intra State Transfer between two Circles, or Inter-State Transfer within the same Circle a maximum of two times during their entire career. In other words, an employee will have only two opportunities to seek these types of transfers.
If an employee wants to apply for the second transfer, whether on Extreme Compassionate Ground or Spouse Ground, they must have completed a minimum stay of 5 years in the transferee Circle/State as on the date of submitting the application.
Eligibility to apply for Transfers
Applications for Inter Circle Transfer / Intra State Transfer between two Circles and Inter State Transfer within the same Circle shall be considered only under the following grounds: Extreme Compassionate Ground and Spouse Ground.
Confirmed clerical employees recruited under the mentioned recruitment advertisement will be eligible to apply for Inter Circle Transfer (ICT), Intra State Transfer between two Circles, or Inter-State Transfer within the same Circle only after completing a minimum of 5 years of service, including the probation period. These transfers will be considered only on two grounds — Spouse Ground and Extreme Compassionate Ground.
For Inter Circle Transfer, the policy allows transfers between certain specific Circles. Employees can seek transfer between Delhi Circle and Chandigarh Circle, but only within Haryana. Similarly, transfer between Delhi Circle and Lucknow Circle is allowed only within Uttar Pradesh, while transfer between Mumbai Metro Circle and Maharashtra Circle is allowed only within Maharashtra. These transfers are also subject to the employee completing the required 5 years of service.
The policy also allows eligible clerical employees to apply for Inter-State Transfer within their respective Circle after completing 5 years of service, including probation. However, the employee cannot apply for transfer to any state of their choice. The transfer must be between the states or Union Territories covered under the same Circle. For example, Delhi Circle covers Delhi, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while Chandigarh Circle covers Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Leh & Ladakh.
Qualifying Criteria for Transfer on Extreme Compassionate and Spouse Grounds
Under the transfer policy, employees can apply for transfer on Extreme Compassionate Ground in certain serious situations. This includes cases where the employee, their spouse, or a wholly dependent family member is suffering from a serious illness. However, the illness or circumstances must have arisen after the employee joined the Bank. The employee must also have declared the dependent family members in HRMS.
Employees belonging to the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category who have a permanent disability are also eligible under the Extreme Compassionate Ground. In addition, an employee who is the only child of their parents can apply if their parents are suffering from a serious illness and are unable to move to the employee’s present place of posting. In such cases, the employee will have to provide an appropriate undertaking and supporting documents.
Medical cases under the Extreme Compassionate Ground will not be accepted only on the basis of the employee’s claim. They will be verified by the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the concerned LHO. The employee will have to provide relevant medical records and documents. The SMO will examine the seriousness of the illness, whether proper treatment is available at the employee’s current place of posting, and whether there is sufficient justification for recommending a transfer on medical grounds.
Transfer on Spouse Ground
The policy also provides transfer opportunities when the employee’s spouse is working in another location. The first preference is given to employees whose spouse is working in State Bank of India (SBI). The second preference is given when the spouse is working with the Central Government, State Government or a PSU.
Employees whose spouse works in a reputed private organisation or MNC may also be considered. The same applies when the spouse is self-employed in a professional field such as a doctor, advocate or chartered accountant. However, such cases will be considered on merit and will depend on administrative feasibility and the availability of vacancies in the Circle where the employee is seeking transfer.
For spouse cases involving employees whose spouse works in a PSU, government organisation, private organisation, MNC or professional practice, the relevant circumstances must have arisen after the employee joined the Bank’s services.
Important Rules
- First preference will be given to Extreme Compassionate ground followed by Spouse ground.
- Request transfers under Inter State within the same Circle will be done as per Inter Module Transfer done by the Circles, hitherto.
- All eligible employees shall apply online through SMART portal, for registering requests for Inter Circle Transfer throughout the year. All eligible applications received up to 31st January of every year shall be considered for transfer on the ‘first come first serve’ basis.
- Request transfers under Inter Circle / Intra State between two Circles will be considered only on matching basis (depending upon the vacancies / manpower positions of the Transferor / Transferee Circle).
- For eligible cases registered in SMART portal and not approved by Corporate Centre due to non-availability of matching cases, a cap of 10 cases (ICT / Intra State between two Circles) per year shall be fixed for each Circle (on Extreme Compassionate and Spouse ground only), over and above the cases approved by Corporate Centre.
- Transfer under this policy will be treated as request transfer. Employees will be eligible for his/her travelling expenses and joining time of not exceeding 6 days exclusive of number of days spent on journey, only once during his/her entire career.
- Before applying, the employee, on self-nomination basis, will have to undergo three-days (18 hours) Regional Language training conducted by STU, for the language of the State where he / she is willing to go after the Transfer. During the training, employee will have to obtain e-Certificate through “Bhasha Sangam” application, a GoI initiative and have to upload the e-Certificate and training details along with an undertaking by the employee of having attended the training programme and has passed the language assessment of the transferee Circle / State, on the portal at the time of applying for ICT.
- Employees who produce 10th or 12th standard mark sheet / certificate as evidence of having studied the local language of the state of the transferee Circle / State are exempted from the language test. The same will have to be uploaded in the portal at the time of applying for request transfer.
- DPD / Vigilance clearance to be obtained at the stage of relieving of the staff. Employees against whom any disciplinary proceedings are pending or are contemplated will not be eligible to apply for ICT.
