New Delhi, August 10: The Government has reiterated that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a mandatory minimum qualification for appointment as a teacher in schools covered under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, following directions issued by the Supreme Court.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said the Supreme Court, in its judgment of September 1, 2025, held that TET is one of the minimum qualifications prescribed under Section 23 of the RTE Act and directed eligible teachers to acquire the qualification within the stipulated timeline.
The Supreme Court subsequently extended the deadline for acquiring TET qualification from August 31, 2027, to August 31, 2028, while disposing of review petitions on May 29, 2026.
The Court also observed that the appropriate governments and authorities should endeavour to conduct TET periodically, preferably twice a year, with an interval of around six months between examinations. The move is aimed at providing eligible teachers reasonable opportunities to acquire the prescribed qualification.
The Government clarified that education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, while recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers fall within the administrative domain of respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.
The Supreme Court also took into account the practical difficulties faced by in-service teachers who were recruited before enactment of the RTE Act, 2009. Exercising its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, it allowed teachers who had less than five years of service remaining as on September 1, 2025 to continue in service until superannuation without acquiring TET qualification.
However, such teachers will not be eligible for promotion unless they acquire the prescribed TET qualification.
The clarification comes amid the implementation of the Supreme Court’s directions on minimum qualifications for teachers and places the responsibility on concerned governments and authorities to ensure regular conduct of TET examinations and provide eligible teachers adequate opportunities to comply with the prescribed requirements.
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