Mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test

The Ministry of Education notes that the Supreme Court, in its judgment dated 01‑09‑2025, affirmed that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a minimum qualification under Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and is mandatory for appointments in schools covered by the Act. The Court later extended the deadline for acquiring TET qualification from 31‑08‑2027 to 31‑08‑2028 in its judgment dated 29‑05‑2026. The same judgment directed that appropriate governments conduct TET periodically, preferably twice a year with a six‑month gap, to give eligible teachers reasonable opportunity to meet the requirement. The information was provided by Minister Pralhad Joshi in response to a Lok Sabha starred question.