MP teachers must clear TET, says Supreme Court:Rejects plea for further relaxation; no appointment without exam

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday heard petitions related to the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) issue in Madhya Pradesh. During the hearing, the court observed that all relaxations that were to be granted in the eligibility examination had already been given. The court said that no teacher can now be appointed in future recruitments without clearing the TET examination. The review petitions were filed by the Madhya Pradesh government along with education organisations from the state and other parts of the country. The petitions sought exemption from TET for teachers appointed between 1998 and 2009. The matter was heard in open court by a bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan at 2 pm. Five-year relaxation already granted During the hearing, the court clarified that after the rules came into force in 2017, a five-year relaxation had already been provided. The Supreme Court said all states and teachers would have to comply with rules laid down by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). Retired High Court and Supreme Court judges, along with advocates, presented various arguments during the hearing. However, at present, the possibility of relief for teachers appears low. Hearing on more than 70 petitions continued till Wednesday evening, due to which the final decision in the matter is still awaited. DK Singour, state president of the Tribal Welfare Teachers Association, said: “Our organisation had also filed a petition. I was personally present during the hearing, but despite strong arguments by advocates, the court’s approach did not appear positive.” Teachers await final decision The final verdict of the court will determine whether lakhs of teachers across the country will get exemption from the eligibility examination or whether clearing TET will remain mandatory for them. The matter is linked to the Supreme Court’s September 1, 2025 order, based on which the School Education Department had directed that all teachers appointed without TET between 1998 and 2009 must clear the eligibility examination. These appointments were made through the state government’s merit-based recruitment process. Around 1.5 lakh such teachers are said to be working in Madhya Pradesh. Supreme Court had said failed teachers could lose jobs In its earlier order, the Supreme Court had clearly stated that teachers failing to clear the eligibility examination could be removed from service. Following directions issued by the Commissioner of Public Instruction office, teacher organisations across the state had started protests. Teacher organisations also launched demonstrations and appealed through the Chief Minister, School Education Minister and public representatives, seeking reconsideration of the order by the Centre and the Supreme Court. Last month, several education organisations, including the Government Teachers Association and State Employees Union, along with the Madhya Pradesh government, filed review petitions in the Supreme Court. What is the TET exam? The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a national-level eligibility examination that determines whether a candidate is qualified to become a teacher for primary and upper primary classes (Classes 1 to 8). The examination was made mandatory by the National Council for Teacher Education in 2010. A key aspect of the case is that the hearing is being conducted in open court instead of judges’ chambers, allowing lawyers representing teachers to directly present their arguments. Teachers across Madhya Pradesh are now awaiting the final outcome of the hearing. Teachers stage protest in Bhopal Under the banner of the Joint Front of Teachers and Education Staff, teachers also held a major protest in Bhopal. The teachers submitted a memorandum to the MP Nagar SDM before ending the protest. According to organisers, more than 50,000 teachers from different districts of the state participated in the ‘Chief Minister Appeal March’ held at Dussehra Ground in BHEL area of Bhopal.