West Bengal prepares Eligibility Test for teachers after court ruling
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The West Bengal School Education Department instructed examination authorities to prepare a Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for approximately 90,000 in-service teachers following a Supreme Court order.
The court mandated that teachers hired before the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act of 2009, and with more than five years of service remaining, must pass the TET to keep their jobs.
The Supreme Court initially issued this ruling in September of last year, then considered appeals from states, teachers’ groups, and individual teachers. In May 2026, the court upheld the TET requirement but extended the deadline for teachers to qualify to August 31, 2028, allowing three years instead of two. The court also directed states to hold the TET at least twice per year.
West Bengal’s September 11 notification to the West Bengal School Service Commission and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education marks the beginning of the state’s implementation of the court’s directions. While teachers with five years or less of service remaining are exempt from the TET, they will still need to pass it to be considered for promotion. Some teachers and organizations, including the Bangiya Shikshak O Shiksha Karmi Samiti, are protesting the requirement and seeking exemptions for long-serving educators.
Tamil Nadu has also sought a permanent exemption for its teachers from the central government.
