Kerala to challenge Supreme Court ruling on Teachers’ Eligibility Test

Kerala will file a review petition or approach the Supreme Court seeking clarity on its recent ruling that made clearing the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all school teachers, State Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.

Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (September 8, 2025), the Minister said the apex court’s ruling would have widespread impact across the country. The court had examined the Union government’s laws and rules. The Union government should make fresh legislation to overcome the situation since education was on the concurrent list of the Constitution, he said.

The Supreme Court’s judgment could adversely affect as many as 50,000 teachers in Kerala. It would not only affect teachers’ work, but also bring all activities in the school education sector to a standstill, Mr. Sivankutty said.

As per the Supreme Court ruling, teachers appointed before the RTE Act had come into force and left with more than five years to retire should clear the TET within two years to remain in service. Else, they may quit or be compulsory retired with terminal benefits.

Those left with less than five years of service as of September 1, 2025 need not qualify TET but would not be eligible for promotion.

Teachers’ organisations in Kerala had urged the State and the Union governments to intervene in the matter.

Mr. Sivankutty said the court had considered the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, its 2017 amendment, and the 2010 National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification that made TET the minimum qualification for appointment of teachers in Classes I to VIII. The RTE Act was passed during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2009, and its amendment during the rule of the Modi government in 2017. However, neither of them had taken steps to protect the teachers before implementing laws changing eligibility criteria.

In Kerala, teachers in service were protected whenever changes were made to their qualifications, such as in the case of language or primary school teacher appointments, Mr. Sivankutty said.