MP seeks TET relief for 70,000 teachers:School Education Dept to move Supreme Court again for exemption request

The Madhya Pradesh School Education Department is preparing to approach the Supreme Court once again to seek exemption for around 70,000 teachers recruited between 2005 and 2009 from appearing in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). The department argues that these teachers had already secured their jobs after clearing a government recruitment examination and should not be required to qualify through another eligibility test. If the Supreme Court accepts the plea, thousands of teachers could receive relief. Around 1.5 lakh teachers affected by Supreme Court order The move comes after the Supreme Court’s September 2025 order, following which the Directorate of Public Instruction issued directions in April to conduct TET examinations during July-August for teachers appointed in the School Education and Tribal Affairs departments between 1998 and 2009, before the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into force. The order affects nearly 1.5 lakh teachers across Madhya Pradesh. The Supreme Court has ruled that teachers with less than five years of remaining service will be exempt from the examination. However, those with more than five years of service left must clear the TET. Teachers who fail to qualify will face compulsory retirement. The Court had initially fixed August 31, 2027, as the deadline for clearing the examination, which has now been extended to August 31, 2028. State plans fresh legal challenge for 2005–09 recruits The School Education Department is preparing a fresh legal challenge specifically for teachers recruited between 2005 and 2009. These teachers were selected through government recruitment examinations conducted by the state. However, those examinations were not Teacher Eligibility Tests and were not conducted under the standards prescribed by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). According to sources, after consulting the Law Department and Supreme Court advocates, the state government may file a fresh petition within a week. The petition will argue that teachers recruited during 2005–09 had already qualified through a competitive government selection process and therefore should be exempted from taking the TET again. Officials say chances of relief are limited Department officials believe the chances of securing relief are limited, given the Supreme Court’s earlier rulings. However, they said the legal initiative is being taken in the interest of teachers. If the Court grants relief, nearly half of the teachers currently covered under the TET requirement could benefit. Officials have declined to comment officially as the matter remains under consideration. Teacher recruitment conducted through Vyapam The School Education Department first conducted teacher recruitment through the Vyapam (Professional Examination Board) in 2005–06, followed by another recruitment drive in 2008–09. Subsequent recruitment examinations for Gurujis and Instructors were conducted during 2010–11 and 2012–13, after which successful candidates were appointed as teachers. Previous petitions failed to secure exemption Following the Supreme Court’s directions, teacher organisations opposed the mandatory TET requirement. Both the School Education Department and teacher associations filed separate petitions seeking relaxation. However, during the hearing, the Supreme Court made it clear that passing the TET is mandatory and that no exemption could be granted. The Court only provided partial relief by extending the deadline for clearing the examination by one year, until August 2028. It also clarified that teachers who fail the examination on their first attempt will be allowed to appear in every subsequent TET until the deadline. Supreme Court has rejected over 65 review petitions The Supreme Court has already dismissed more than 65 review petitions filed by state governments, teacher organisations, and individual teachers seeking reconsideration of its 2025 judgment on the TET requirement. Court says minimum qualification mandatory under RTE Act While hearing the review petitions, the Court observed that conducting the TET requires considerable time and resources, which is why it extended the compliance period from two years to three years. The case relates to teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, who still have more than five years of service remaining. The Supreme Court held that such teachers must clear the TET within the prescribed timeframe. The Bench also observed that the RTE Act already provides for in-service teachers to acquire minimum qualifications within a stipulated period, demonstrating Parliament’s intention that all teachers meet minimum professional standards. The Court further ruled that NCTE notifications or subordinate regulations cannot override the provisions of the parent law, and therefore exemptions cannot nullify the mandatory TET requirement. Rejecting the petitioners’ arguments, the Court stated that the possibility of teachers losing their jobs cannot be the sole basis for setting aside the requirement, as allowing teachers without TET qualifications to continue in service would adversely affect the quality of education for future generations. The petitioners had argued that teachers appointed before the 2011 amendment should not be compelled to clear the TET midway through their careers, claiming it would amount to an unfair change in service conditions. The Supreme Court rejected this argument as well.