Teachers TET Pass Mandatory! Big Step Following Supreme Court Order, These Details Required

TET Mandatory: Following a recent directive from the Supreme Court, significant administrative activity has begun regarding teacher recruitment and eligibility standards across the country. On September 1, 2025, the Apex Court ruled that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for teachers. In light of this verdict, the Central Ministry of Education has taken proactive steps, issuing specific guidelines to states to collect detailed information about serving teachers.

A D.O. letter has been issued by the Central Education Department aimed at verifying the current status of primary and upper primary teachers in the states. The primary focus is to create separate lists for teachers who have passed the TET and those who have not.

What Information Has the Center Sought?

According to the central guidelines, the State Education Department, Primary Education Board, and School Service Commission must submit data in three specific formats. This data collection process is divided into two main categories: administrative information and individual teacher statistics.

General and Administrative Information

In the first phase, states are required to provide details about their recruitment bodies and hiring rules. This includes:

• Recruitment Bodies: Names, addresses, and contact details of officials in charge of departments responsible for recruiting teachers at the primary level (e.g., Primary Education Board) and upper primary level (e.g., School Service Commission).
• Eligibility Criteria: The minimum basic eligibility required for teaching from Class I to Class VIII in the state.
• Promotion Rules: Clear details on the conditions for promotions or Career Advancement Schemes (such as 10, 18, or 20-year benefits) for teachers.

Detailed Teacher Statistics and TET Status

The most critical part involves the individual statistics of teachers. Data for primary (Class I to V) and upper primary (Class VI to VIII) teachers must be provided separately. The core focus of this data is on TET qualification and the time of joining the service.

Teachers must be categorized by age groups (from 21 to 60+ years), and the following details must be filled out:

• Period of Joining: A separate count of how many teachers joined the service before January 1, 2011 (prior to the NCTE notification) and how many joined after 2011.
• TET Pass Data: The number of teachers who joined before 2010 but have passed the TET, and the number of TET-qualified teachers who joined after 2011.
• Exempted Teachers: Information on whether there are any teachers who have been exempted from TET for special reasons. If so, their numbers and the justification for the exemption must be provided.

Why is This Data Being Collected?

Following the Supreme Court’s order, it is evident that passing the TET will be treated as a mandatory condition for the teaching profession moving forward. This data collection is particularly significant for those who have been working without passing the TET or were recruited before the NCTE guidelines came into effect. By creating this database, the Central Government aims to ensure that all teachers appointed in schools across the country meet the specified standards. The state government is required to send this information to the Center in the prescribed format immediately.