New Delhi: The Supreme Court ruled that clearing the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for both appointing new teachers and for serving teachers seeking promotions.
The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih, stated that teachers who have more than five years left before retirement must pass the TET within two years to continue in service. Otherwise, they may either resign or opt for compulsory retirement while availing terminal benefits.
The court clarified that teachers with less than five years remaining before retirement are exempted from qualifying the TET. However, they will not be entitled to promotions.
The verdict came after the court heard multiple petitions, including those from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, challenging whether the TET should be a compulsory requirement for teaching positions, TNIE reported.
Among the appellants was Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust, a recognised minority educational society, which contested the State of Maharashtra’s decision to mandate TET for minority institutions. The Supreme Court referred the issue of whether states can impose such requirements on minority-run schools to a larger bench for further deliberation.
The court also observed that, under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, all schools defined under Section 2(n) are required to comply with its provisions, except those established and administered by religious or linguistic minorities, until the larger bench provides a final ruling on the matter.