Teacher unions protest against TET condition for promotions

Chandigarh: At least 15 teacher unions from Punjab organised a large protest rally in Anandpur Sahib on Sunday, the constituency represented by state education minister Harjot Singh Bains, opposing the "TET passing condition" linked to promotions. The protesting teachers stated that their agitation was directed against both the BJP-led Central govt and Punjab's AAP govt. On Sept 1, 2025, in a significant judgment, the Supreme Court of India ruled that all teachers, including those already in service, must qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to be eligible for promotions.
As per the order, teachers with less than 5 years remaining before retirement are exempt from clearing the TET. Those with more than 5 years of service left must clear the TET within a 2-year grace period — by August 2027 — to retain their jobs and remain eligible for career advancement. Invoking Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court emphasised the need for uniform standards in teacher quality nationwide, stating that TET is a foundational requirement for teaching Classes 1 to 8 under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. In a joint statement, the unions said they were invited to meet the education minister on Feb 27 to discuss the matter, after which the protest was called off.Earlier, addressing the gathering, teacher leader Vikram Dev and others argued that "implementing the Supreme Court's ruling would damage the dignity and honour of teachers who play a key role in nation-building". They contended that the decision further strengthened policies they believed were weakening the public education system. The leaders also criticised the Central govt, saying that "despite opposition in Parliament and protests by teacher organisations across the country, no meaningful effort was made to resolve the issue".They pointed out that several states have filed review petitions against what they termed a "forcibly imposed" TET condition, but alleged that "the Punjab govt has not yet taken concrete steps to safeguard teachers' service interests". The unions demanded that the Punjab govt convene a special session of the Vidhan Sabha to pass a bill or resolution opposing the TET mandate, and to file a review petition before the Supreme Court.MSID:: 128678463 413 |