West Bengal asks authorities to prepare TET for 90,000 in-service teachers after SC order - The Indian Express
The West Bengal School Education Department has asked the state’s examination authorities to make arrangements for conducting the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service primary teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The move follows a Supreme Court direction making TET qualification mandatory for eligible in-service teachers, with around 90,000 primary and upper-primary teachers in West Bengal expected to be covered.
The Supreme Court had, in September last year, held that in-service teachers appointed before the RTE Act came into force and having more than five years of service remaining must qualify TET to continue in service. The court subsequently considered review petitions filed by states, teachers’ associations and individual teachers. In its May 29, 2026 order, the court retained the TET requirement but extended the deadline for acquiring the qualification from two years to three years, fixing August 31, 2028 as the final date.
It also said states and competent authorities should conduct TET periodically, preferably twice a year, with an interval of about six months.
In its notification issued on September 11, the West Bengal School Education Department sought information from the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education on arrangements for conducting TET for the affected teachers. The notification, signed by Special Secretary Chandranath Roy Chowdhury, marks the beginning of the state’s process to implement the Supreme Court directions. The examination date and detailed schedule have not yet been announced.
Teachers with five years or less of service remaining are exempt from the requirement to qualify TET for continuing in service under the Supreme Court’s directions. However, the court has clarified that such teachers would still need TET qualification if they seek promotion. The May 2026 order also made clear that no further extension of the deadline would be entertained.
The requirement has faced resistance from sections of the teaching community in West Bengal. The Bangiya Shikshak O Shiksha Karmi Samiti has sought exemption for teachers appointed before August 23, 2010, arguing that many have already completed 15 to 20 years of service and should not be required to clear a new eligibility examination at this stage. The organisation has also sought state intervention with the Centre and announced plans for further protests.
West Bengal is not the only state where the issue has triggered a political response. In August, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a resolution seeking a “fully and permanently” exemption from TET for government teachers appointed before August 23, 2010. The resolution urged the Centre to amend Section 23 of the RTE Act and provide for the exemption through National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines. Tamil Nadu said around 3.28 lakh government teachers could be affected and argued that many had completed 15 to 20 years of uninterrupted service.
The Supreme Court, however, has so far retained the mandatory TET requirement while providing the additional time until August 2028. West Bengal’s latest notification indicates that the state is now moving to implement that requirement through a dedicated TET process for its existing teachers.
