Madhya Pradesh’s more than 150,000 in-service teachers will now have to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld its earlier ruling while deciding review petitions. The court said that passing TET is necessary to ensure better academic development for children and to maintain quality in education. It also clarified that the order is not limited to Madhya Pradesh alone, but applies to in-service teachers across India. In states where older teachers were previously exempt from TET, the same direction will now be treated as effective.
The court, however, granted limited relief by extending the deadline to pass the exam from two years to three years. Teachers now have until 31 August 2028 to qualify. The bench said the review petitions did not show any error in the original order and therefore did not deserve relief. While acknowledging that the service conditions of a large number of teachers could be affected, the court held that the interest of children must come first.
The Supreme Court stressed that the law must also be practical. To protect the continuity of children’s education, it allowed one additional year beyond the earlier deadline. At the same time, it directed all states to conduct TET at least twice a year so that teachers get enough opportunities to appear for the exam. The court made it clear that no further extension would be granted beyond the new deadline.
The ruling comes in the context of the court’s earlier decision in the Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust case, in which it upheld the requirement that in-service teachers must qualify TET. In its 1 September 2025 order, the court had given teachers two years to clear the exam. Friday’s decision has now added one more year, reinforcing the view that TET is not merely a condition for employment but a constitutional requirement to ensure quality education for students.
The verdict has triggered strong reactions from teacher organisations. The Tribal Welfare Teachers Association said it is reviewing the order and argued that making TET compulsory for older teachers is unfair and violates service rights. The Adhyapak Shikshak Jut Morcha also opposed the judgment and said it will continue its fight from Parliament to the Supreme Court. The group has said it may file a curative petition and is demanding amendments to the Right to Education Act.
For thousands of teachers in Madhya Pradesh and other states, the ruling creates a new deadline and a major career challenge. For the Supreme Court, however, the central principle remains unchanged: the quality of education and the welfare of children take precedence over service exemptions.
