Supreme Court: TET Mandatory For Teachers To Continue Service, Exemptions For Those Nearing Retirement
Supreme Court: TET Mandatory For Teachers To Continue Service, Exemptions For Those Nearing Retirement
New Delhi, September 5, 2025 — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) is a compulsory requirement for both new appointments and for teachers already in service who wish to continue or seek promotions.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih clarified that teachers with more than five years left until retirement must clear the TET within two years to remain in service. Failure to do so will compel them to either resign or opt for compulsory retirement with terminal benefits.
Providing partial relief, the apex court said that teachers with less than five years to retire need not clear the TET. However, they will be barred from promotions.
The ruling came while hearing a batch of petitions from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra questioning the necessity of TET for teaching services. Among the petitioners was the Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust, a recognised minority education society, which challenged the Maharashtra government’s stance on TET applicability to minority institutions.
The bench referred the larger question—whether TET can be mandated for minority-run institutions and its implications on their rights—to a Constitution Bench. Until the issue is settled, the court directed that the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act must be complied with by all schools under Section 2(n), except minority institutions.
