Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Teachers who have already appeared for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) will now have to take the examination again in October, despite the Madhya Pradesh government's efforts to seek exemption for serving teachers from the Supreme Court.
With no relief granted so far, the state has moved ahead with preparations for a fresh TET examination, leaving teachers who had already cleared the eligibility test facing another examination.
75,000 teachers already took TET
More than 75,000 teachers had already appeared for TET from 2005-2008. In the case of primary teachers, the Primary School Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET) 2020 was conducted earlier and became the basis for subsequent teacher selection.
The MP High Court has also recorded that teachers who qualified TET-2020 were subsequently required to appear in a separate selection examination after changes in the recruitment rules.
The state later conducted another TET examination, and teachers who had already obtained eligibility through the earlier examinations are now questioning why they should have to appear again when they are already serving teachers.
School Edu dept approaches SC again
After the TET ruling by the SC, the School Education Department in July again sought the intervention of the SC regarding teachers who have already taken the exam.
The teachers who had already appeared are in limbo after DPI's approach and now the exam date issued by the ESB.
Teachers association acting president Upendra Kaushal said that for MP teachers, the immediate issue is not the deadline but whether their earlier TET qualification will be recognised for compliance with the latest SC directions.
What SC order means
Under the Supreme Court's directions, teachers appointed before the RTE Act, 2009, who had more than five years of service remaining as of Sept 1, 2025, are required to qualify TET to continue in service.
Teachers with less than five years left before retirement were given a limited exemption from the requirement for continuation in service, although TET remains relevant for promotion.
