New Delhi, Sept 1 (UNI) The Supreme Court today held that the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is a mandatory requirement for teachers to remain in service or seek promotion in schools.
A इench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih delivered the ruling while deciding a batch of petitions, including those from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, concerning the applicability of TET.
The court clarified that teachers who have only five years left to reach superannuation will be allowed to continue in service without qualifying TET.
However, those who have more than five years remaining are required to pass the test in order to remain in service.
“Otherwise, they may quit or apply for compulsory retirement with terminal benefits,” the Bench said.
The court also referred to a larger bench the issue of whether states can mandate TET for minority institutions and how such a requirement would impact the rights of those institutions under the Constitution.
The ruling stems from the guidelines of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which in 2010 prescribed minimum qualifications for appointment as teachers in Classes I to VIII. As part of these norms, the NCTE introduced TET as a qualifying requirement.
The judgment settles the question of whether TET is compulsory for in-service teachers and for promotions, while leaving the contentious issue of minority institutions for further consideration by a larger Bench.
SC rules teachers’ eligibility test mandatory for continuation and promotion in service
