Response of Teachers to Reappear for TET

Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers fall within the administrative domain of the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.

The Supreme Court of India, vide its judgment dated 01.09.2025, inter alia, held that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is one of the minimum qualifications prescribed under Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and is mandatory for appointment as a teacher in schools covered under the Act. The Supreme Court further directed that eligible teachers shall acquire the prescribed TET qualification within the timeline specified in the judgment. The order of the Supreme Court may be accessed at the following link:

https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2018/36466/36466_2018_9_1501_63764_Judgement_01-Sep 2025.pdf

Subsequently, while disposing of the review petitions in the matter, vide judgment dated 29.05.2026, the Supreme Court extended the timeline for acquisition of TET qualification from 31.08.2027 to 31.08.2028. The Supreme Court further observed that the respective appropriate Governments/authorities should endeavour to conduct the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) periodically, preferably twice every year, with an interval of approximately six months between successive examinations, so as to afford eligible teachers a reasonable opportunity to comply with the prescribed minimum qualification. The judgment dated 29.05.2026 may be accessed at the following link:

https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2025/53434/53434_2025_7_1501_71637_Judgement_29-May 2026.pdf

The Supreme Court, while taking into consideration the practical difficulties faced by in-service teachers recruited prior to the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution of India and directed that such teachers who have less than five years of service remaining, as on the date of the judgment dated 01.09.2025, may continue in service till attaining the age of superannuation without acquiring the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification. The Supreme Court further clarified that such teachers shall not be eligible for promotion unless they acquire the prescribed TET qualification.

This information was given by Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.