Overview of the Verdict
Supreme Court Verdict on TET Exam: On September 1, 2025, a two-judge Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan issued a landmark judgment concerning the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). Invoking extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court directed that teachers across India with more than five years of service remaining must pass the TET within two years or face compulsory retirement.
Static GK fact: The Right to Education (RTE) Act was implemented in 2010 to ensure free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 years in India.
Applicability and Scope
The verdict applies to all teachers employed in government, aided, unaided, and private schools covered under the RTE Act. In-service teachers from Classes 1–8 in non-minority schools must clear the TET within two years. Teachers with less than five years to retirement were given the option to not take the test.
Static GK Tip: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was established in 1993 as a statutory body to oversee standards of teacher education in India.
Minority Institutions and RTE
The Court referred the matter to a larger Bench to decide whether minority educational institutions should also fall under the RTE Act. The two-judge Bench criticized the 2014 Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust case, which had excluded minority institutions from the RTE mandate. The September 1 judgment emphasized bringing schools run by religious or linguistic minorities into the RTE fold.
Legal Provisions and Interpretation
The judgment centers on Section 23 of the RTE Act. It mandates the NCTE to set minimum qualifications for teachers of Classes 1–8, including passing the TET, to ensure national standards of teaching quality. Tamil Nadu challenged the retrospective application of this law, asserting that Section 23(1) applies only to future recruitments.
Static GK fact: Section 23(2) allows the Centre to relax minimum teacher qualifications for up to five years in cases of teacher shortages or institutional contingencies.
Review Petition Mechanism
A review petition allows an aggrieved party to request the Court to reconsider an earlier order. Typically, it is heard in a chamber hearing, without the presence of lawyers or litigants. The same judges re-examine the case and pass an order, usually within half an hour. Tamil Nadu filed the review petition citing Section 23’s proviso, which requires teachers who lacked minimum qualifications at the commencement of the RTE Act to acquire them within five years, arguing this should not be a blanket mandate.
Implications for Teachers
Teachers across India must comply with the TET requirement within the stipulated two-year period unless they are within five years of retirement. This verdict reinforces national standards in teacher recruitment and ensures alignment with the RTE Act’s objectives.
Static GK fact: The TET was first introduced in 2011 to standardize teaching eligibility across India.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Supreme Court Verdict on TET Exam:
| Topic | Detail |
| Date of Verdict | September 1, 2025 |
| Court Bench | Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan |
| Constitutional Provision | Article 142 |
| Applicable Teachers | Government, aided, unaided, private schools under RTE |
| Service Requirement | Teachers with >5 years of service must clear TET in 2 years |
| Minority Schools | Matter referred to larger Bench |
| Legal Reference | Section 23, RTE Act 2009 |
| NCTE Role | Sets minimum qualifications for teacher appointments |
| Compulsory Retirement | If TET not cleared within two years |
| Review Petition | Allows reconsideration of earlier verdicts |
