New Delhi, Aug 4 (INB) The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a mandatory qualification for appointment of teachers in schools covered under the Right to Education Act, and the deadline for acquiring the qualification has been extended till August 31, 2028, the government informed Parliament on Monday. According to a written reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers fall under the jurisdiction of state governments and Union Territory administrations, as education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution. He said information regarding teachers appointed before 2013 who may be affected by the mandatory TET requirement is maintained by the respective state governments and Union Territory administrations. The minister referred to a Supreme Court judgment dated September 1, 2025, which held that the Teacher Eligibility Test is one of the minimum qualifications prescribed under Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and is mandatory for appointment as a teacher in schools covered under the Act. Joshi said that while disposing of review petitions in the matter, the Supreme Court, in its judgment dated May 29, 2026, extended the timeline for acquiring the TET qualification from August 31, 2027, to August 31, 2028. The court also observed that the appropriate governments and authorities should endeavour to conduct the Teacher Eligibility Test periodically, preferably twice a year, with an interval of around six months between examinations, to provide eligible teachers a reasonable opportunity to obtain the prescribed qualification, he added.
