Tue Apr 08 15:01:50 UTC 2025: **Madras High Court Rules TET Qualification Mandatory for All Schools**
Madurai, India (April 8, 2025) – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification is mandatory for all educational institutions in the state, including minority institutions. The ruling overturns a previous Single Bench order and upholds the state’s requirement for teachers to possess TET certification.
A Division Bench, comprising Justices J. Nisha Banu and S. Srimathy, based its decision on Supreme Court precedents and the authority of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to set teacher qualifications. The court noted that NCTE had already granted a nine-year grace period for existing teachers to obtain TET certification. Going forward, appointments and promotions will only be granted to those with the qualification.
The court argued that exempting minority institutions from the TET requirement would constitute discrimination under Article 14 of the Constitution, creating an uneven playing field for teachers in minority and non-minority schools. This disparity, the judges stated, has also hampered the Education Department’s efforts to address teacher surplus issues. The inability to transfer or deploy teachers lacking TET certification has created significant administrative challenges.
The court’s decision came in response to an appeal by the School Education Department against a previous ruling that favored a candidate without TET qualification. The Division Bench upheld the Education Department’s denial of the candidate’s appointment, emphasizing the validity of the TET requirement.
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