WILL TEACHERS GET RELIEF FROM THE MANDATORY TET?

WILL TEACHERS GET RELIEF FROM THE MANDATORY TET?

11-JAN-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI--------------------------Under the Supreme Court's September 2025 judgment, passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) was made mandatory for all teachers. Since then, there has been uncertainty regarding the jobs and future of non-TET qualified teachers who have been serving for a long time. Teacher organizations and public representatives have continuously demanded relief from the central government. Now, the central government has taken an important step in this direction, raising hopes of relief for millions of teachers.

The Supreme Court's decision has affected millions of primary teachers across the country. Teachers who have been teaching for years but have not yet passed the TET are under mental stress, saying that they should focus on teaching children or prepare for the exam. Meanwhile, teacher organizations intensified their demand for exemption from the TET requirement from the central government.

Now, the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education has sought reports from all states. The ministry has asked for complete details of teachers appointed before 2011 for classes one to eight. States have to provide this information by January 16. A letter has already been sent to the Chief Secretaries of all states on December 31. States have also been asked how many teachers were appointed before and after 2011, how many have passed TET or CTET, and how many have not. Details related to the age, educational qualifications, and training of the teachers have also been sought.

This step by the central government is likely to provide relief to approximately 1.2 million teachers. In Uttar Pradesh, there are approximately 186,000 teachers who have not passed the TET. In Rajasthan, about 80,000 third-grade teachers will be affected by this decision. In Madhya Pradesh, this number could reach approximately 300,000, while in Jharkhand, 27,000 primary teachers have not passed the TET.

What was the important decision given by the Supreme Court in this matter? According to the Supreme Court's decision, such teachers will have to pass the TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) within two years, otherwise, they may have to leave their jobs or be retired. However, some relief has been given to teachers who have only five years of service remaining.

This is why the CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) examination, scheduled for February 8, 2026, has received a record number of applications. This time, more than 2.5 million candidates have filled out the form. Now, everyone's eyes are on the decisions of the central and state governments.