The Supreme Court on Wednesday said teachers in Madhya Pradesh cannot be appointed without clearing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), indicating that no further relaxation is likely for teachers recruited before the eligibility norms became mandatory.
Hearing a batch of review petitions filed by the Madhya Pradesh government, teachers’ unions and education organisations, the court observed that all permissible exemptions had already been granted after the rules came into force.
The matter affects nearly 1.5 lakh teachers appointed between 1998 and 2009 without qualifying TET.
“No teacher can now be appointed without clearing the eligibility test,” the court observed during the hearing.
Five-year relaxation already granted
The bench said a five-year relaxation period had already been provided after the rules were implemented in 2017.
The petitioners sought exemption for teachers recruited before TET became compulsory. They argued that these appointments were made through the state government’s merit-based recruitment process and that many teachers had been in service for years.
However, the court said states must comply with norms framed by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
More than 70 petitions were heard during the proceedings on Wednesday. The final order is still awaited.
2025 order triggered protests
The dispute stems from the Supreme Court’s September 1, 2025 order, after which the School Education Department directed teachers appointed between 1998 and 2009 to clear TET.
The court had also stated that teachers who fail to pass the examination could face termination of service.
The directive triggered protests across Madhya Pradesh, with teacher unions demanding reconsideration of the order. Several organisations approached the Chief Minister, School Education Minister and the Union government seeking relief.
Last month, the Madhya Pradesh government, government teachers’ associations and employee unions filed review petitions in the Supreme Court.
Teacher unions see little hope
DK Singour, president of the Tribal Welfare Teachers’ Association, said the court’s response during the hearing did not appear encouraging.
“Despite strong arguments from advocates, the court’s approach did not appear positive,” he said.
What is TET?
The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a national-level qualifying examination for candidates seeking to teach Classes 1 to 8.
The National Council for Teacher Education made the examination mandatory in 2010 to standardise teaching qualifications across the country.
