Assembly seeks TET exemption for teachers appointed before Oct 2019

Srinagar, Sept 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to exempt teachers appointed before October 31, 2019, from the requirement of appearing in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
The resolution, moved by Minister for School Education Sakeena Itoo, followed a two-day discussion in the House during which legislators raised concerns over the application of the TET requirement to teachers who had entered government service before the cut-off date.
Through the resolution, the House urged the Union Government to amend Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, to provide the exemption.
The Assembly also called for necessary legal steps and issuance of the requisite notification through the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to give effect to the proposed exemption.
The resolution was passed by voice vote after the conclusion of the debate on Thursday.
Moving the resolution, Itoo said the issue should not be viewed simply as a question of whether serving teachers could clear another examination. She argued that many of the teachers concerned had already undergone various examinations and selection processes during their careers.
“These teachers have made immense sacrifices, devoted their time and energy and worked tirelessly to prepare our students for various professions, including doctors and engineers, while helping secure their future,” she said.
The Minister said the contribution and years of service rendered by these teachers needed to be taken into account while considering the TET issue.
The matter was debated at length over two days, with members putting forward different aspects of the issue and highlighting the concerns of teachers appointed before October 31, 2019.
On the first day, legislators Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Waheed Ur Rehman Para and Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh participated in the discussion.
The debate continued on Thursday, with Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi) and Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri) also speaking on the resolution.
The unanimous passage of the resolution now places the matter before the Union Government, as the proposed exemption requires an amendment to the central legal framework governing teacher eligibility.
The resolution itself does not alter the existing TET requirement. Any exemption would depend on the Union Government taking the statutory and regulatory steps sought by the Assembly.
The development comes against the backdrop of concerns among teachers appointed before the specified cut-off date over being subjected to a qualification requirement introduced after their entry into service.
With the Assembly having expressed a unanimous position, the next step will rest with the Union Government and the NCTE on the legal and regulatory course to be adopted on the issue.