Centre Confirms TET Qualification Deadline Extended to 31 August 2028; No Amendment to RTE Act Proposed
The Government of India has clarified that it has no central database of in-service teachers appointed before the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) became mandatory, as teacher recruitment and service matters fall under the jurisdiction of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.
The clarification came in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 212, raised by Shri E. Tukaram, regarding the impact of the mandatory TET requirement on in-service teachers, including those in Karnataka who were appointed before the TET requirement came into force.
States Maintain Data on In-Service Teachers
In its reply, the Ministry of Education stated that education is a subject under the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Consequently, recruitment, service conditions, and deployment of teachers are administered by the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations.
As a result, the Central Government does not maintain State-wise or national data on teachers appointed prior to the introduction of the mandatory TET. Such information is available only with the respective States and UTs.
Supreme Court Reaffirmed TET as Mandatory Qualification
The Ministry referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 1 September 2025, which held that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is one of the minimum qualifications prescribed under Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, making it mandatory for appointment as a teacher in schools covered under the Act.
The Court reaffirmed that compliance with the prescribed minimum qualifications is essential for teachers serving under the RTE framework.
Deadline Extended to 31 August 2028
The Ministry further informed Parliament that, while disposing of review petitions, the Supreme Court, through its judgment dated 29 May 2026, extended the deadline for acquiring the TET qualification from 31 August 2027 to 31 August 2028.
The extension provides eligible in-service teachers an additional year to obtain the mandatory qualification in accordance with the Court’s directions.
TET Examinations to Be Conducted Regularly
In its 29 May 2026 judgment, the Supreme Court also observed that the appropriate Governments and authorities should make every effort to conduct Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) examinations preferably twice every year, with an interval of approximately six months between examinations.
The objective is to ensure that eligible teachers receive sufficient opportunities to qualify before the revised deadline.
No Proposal to Amend Section 23 of the RTE Act
Responding to questions regarding possible relief for teachers appointed before the TET requirement became mandatory, the Ministry did not indicate any proposal to amend Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Instead, the Government’s response emphasized compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgments and highlighted the extension of the qualification deadline as the principal relief currently available.
Key Takeaways
- The Central Government does not maintain data on teachers appointed before TET became mandatory; States and UTs maintain these records.
- The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that TET is a mandatory minimum qualification under the RTE Act.
- The deadline for acquiring TET has been extended from 31 August 2027 to 31 August 2028.
- Governments and examining authorities have been advised to conduct TET preferably twice a year.
- No amendment to Section 23 of the RTE Act or separate transitional relief has been announced by the Central Government beyond the Supreme Court’s extension.
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