In Compliance with Supreme Court Verdict, In-Service Teachers Directed to Qualify TET Within Two Years; Minority Institutions Temporarily Exempt
Nadeem Nadu
Jammu, Feb 24 :
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has designated the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE)/State School Standards Authority (SSSA) as the Nodal Agency for conducting the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) across the Union Territory, in compliance with the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
As per Government Order No. 87-JK (Edu) of 2026, as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, issued by the School Education Department, Civil Secretariat, J&K, the move follows detailed deliberations held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, J&K, on October 30, 2025. The Supreme Court, in its judgment, ruled that provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act are applicable to all schools, except minority institutions, and held that in-service teachers must qualify the TET to continue in service, with limited exemptions.
According to the order, in-service teachers with less than five years of service left before superannuation have been exempted from qualifying TET for continuation in service. However, such teachers will not be eligible for promotion unless they qualify the TET. Teachers recruited prior to the enactment of the RTE Act and having more than five years of service remaining have been directed to qualify TET within two years, failing which they shall be liable to compulsory retirement with admissible terminal benefits, subject to rules.
The Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department, in its legal opinion, clarified that the Supreme Court judgment operates as a judgment in rem and is binding on all States and Union Territories under Article 141 of the Constitution of India. It further stated that TET qualification is mandatory for teachers in both government and private schools, including registered institutions, while minority institutions stand temporarily exempted pending decision by a larger Bench.
The action plan approved by the government provides that JKBOSE shall function as the examination conducting agency. Online forms will be received through a NIC-developed software module integrated with the JKBOSE website. Examination centres will be established at district headquarters and in the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu.
The invigilation staff will comprise +2 lecturers from the School Education Department and Assistant Professors from the Higher Education Department, while security arrangements will include deployment of Gazetted officers as observers, installation of jammers, police assistance, and imposition of restrictions under Section 163 of BNSS, wherever required.
The syllabus for TET will be aligned with the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines and based on the CTET framework, with suitable modifications in accordance with J&K’s curriculum and scheme of studies.
The Secretary, JKBOSE/SSSA, has been directed to take immediate steps for operationalization of the TET framework, notify a detailed examination schedule, coordinate with concerned departments for logistical and security arrangements, and submit a comprehensive action plan with timelines to the School Education Department at the earliest.
The entire examination process is to be completed within the next two years, as mandated by the Supreme Court judgment. (KNC)