TET qualification is mandatory for all school teachers across the country. This landmark decision affects not only aspiring teachers but also those already working in schools.
The judgment emphasises that teachers appointed before the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and having more than five years of service left must clear TET or CTET within the next two years. Teachers who fail to do so will have to either quit service or face compulsory retirement.
Supreme Court’s Key Directions on TET Applicability
The following table summarises the Supreme Court’s decision on TET for various categories of teachers:
Highlights of the Supreme Court Judgment
The ruling was done on September 1, 2025, by a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan, which sets out clear guidelines on the mandatory nature of TET:
- TET is mandatory for all new teacher appointments across government and aided schools.
- In-service teachers with over five years of service must qualify for TET/CTET within two years.
- Teachers with five years or less of service can continue, but will not be considered for promotions.
- Those failing to qualify within the given timeline will face compulsory retirement.
- Minority schools are currently exempt, with a larger bench set to decide applicability.
Link to RTE Act and NCTE Guidelines
The RTE Act, 2009, laid down that no teacher can be appointed without clearing TET. In 2011, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) formally mandated that CTET or state-level TET must be cleared by all teacher candidates. This Supreme Court ruling reaffirms the NCTE guidelines while extending them to in-service teachers, giving them a fixed two-year grace period to comply.
