The Supreme Court today ruled that cracking the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) is a compulsory requirement for candidates seeking appointment as teachers, as well as for those already in service who are aiming for promotions. For teachers who were appointed before the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) and still have more than five years of service remaining, the Court has provided a two-year window to them to clear the TET. In case of the duration, teachers who did not pass the exam may opt for voluntary or compulsory retirement with terminal benefits. On the other hand, the Court clarified that minority educational institutions are temporarily exempt from the TET requirement under the RTE Act till the time a larger bench delivers its verdict on whether the RTE Act applies to minority-run schools. On the same lines, the Odisha government said it would examine the Supreme Court judgment on making Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for teachers both in appointments and continuance in service. This was stated by Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond here. "As the Supreme Court has ruled that qualifying the TET is mandatory for aspiring teachers as well as in-service teachers, our department will review the order and take decisions keeping teachers' interests in mind," Gond said. The minister said the state government will also examine the measures being taken by other states in the wake of the apex court directive. Stating that many teachers are already serving in Odisha without qualifying the Odisha Teachers' Eligibility Test (OTET), the minister said that there was no such provision of TET before 2011 when they were recruited. Therefore, the state government will have to deliberate on this matter in the wake of the Supreme Court's verdict. The minister said that the state government has planned to hold special TET examinations to give opportunities to the in-service teachers. Different teachers' organisation in Odisha urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision and implement the TET criteria for the recruits and not for the teachers who were recruited earlier. According to an official of the School and Mass Education department, the TET is mandatory for elementary teachers in India, serving as a minimum qualification for appointments as teachers for Classes 1 to 8 in government and some private schools.
