• By Akansha Pandey
  • Thu, 18 Sep 2025 02:38 PM (IST)
  • Source:Jagran News Network
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The Uttar Pradesh government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging a recent decision that makes the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for teachers of classes one to eight to retain their positions. The ruling has caused significant confusion, prompting teacher organisations to write to the Education Department, urging the government to present its case effectively.

According to the Vishisht BTC Shikshak Welfare Association of Uttar Pradesh, the decision affects approximately 150,000 teachers in the state and nearly one million across the country. These teachers were appointed based on a National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification from August 23, 2010, which, under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, had clarified that previously appointed teachers were exempt from the TET requirement.

Santosh Tiwari, the association's state president, countered misinformation spreading on social media. He clarified that a 2017 amendment to Section 23(2) of the RTE Act is being misinterpreted. "This amendment was made only to extend the deadline for untrained teachers to complete their training," Tiwari said. "It was not intended to apply the TET retrospectively to teachers who were already appointed."

Teacher representatives have strongly criticised the court's order. Dilip Chauhan, General Secretary of the Samyukta Morcha (United Front), described it as "changing the rules in the middle of the game," a sentiment echoed by Senior Vice President Shalini Mishra, who called the decision flawed. The organisation's legal experts, Arun Kumar and Amod Srivastava, emphasised that the ruling should not have a retrospective effect.

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While welcoming the state government's move to file a review petition, teachers are demanding that the situation be clarified in the Supreme Court. State General Secretary Dilip Chauhan and Secretary Rakesh Tiwari expressed hope that if the central government also intervenes, it could provide collective relief for all affected teachers nationwide.