Aazan Manzoor
Srinagar, Feb 25: Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Wednesday clarified that there will be no immediate implementation of the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) order in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the government will first examine its rollout across other states and Union Territories, while saying that government has not issued any such order.
The clarification by Education Minister Sakina Itoo came a day after the School Education Department issued a government order dated February 24, 2026, formally designating the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE)/State School Standards Authority (SSSA) as the nodal agency for conducting the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) in the Union Territory.
The order, issued by the Secretary, School Education Department, mandates operationalisation of the TET framework in compliance with the Supreme Court directions and lays down a detailed action plan, including development of a schedule, coordination with NIC and other departments, establishment of examination centres, security arrangements and alignment of syllabus with NCTE guidelines.
It also stipulates that in-service teachers with more than five years of service left must qualify TET within two years or face compulsory retirement, while those nearing superannuation are exempt from qualifying the exam for continuation but not for promotion.
Speaking to reporters, Itoo, as per news agency JKNS, said that a few months ago, the Hon’ble Supreme Court had directed that teachers across all states and Union Territories must qualify the TET examination.
She said that after receiving the case file, the government decided to assess how the order is being implemented elsewhere, including the pattern and mechanism adopted for conducting the examination.
The Minister said the concept of such an examination was once envisioned during the tenure of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and was initiated at that time by former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar in the form of the RET examination.
However, Itoo said that implementing such a decision immediately would not be appropriate, particularly considering that many teachers have rendered 25 to 35 years of service imparting education.
She said that the same teachers have produced doctors, engineers, IAS and KAS officers, professors and other professionals, and it would not be fair to suddenly subject them to an immediate test without proper consideration.
“At that time, I felt that we cannot implement this immediately. We have to see what the consequences will be and how the system is working in other states and Union Territories,” she said.
Itoo further clarified that there is no immediate requirement to enforce the order in Jammu and Kashmir.
She stated that the Supreme Court itself has granted a two-year window regarding the matter and that implementation would be examined in light of how it unfolds across the country.
“If it is implemented everywhere and we receive further direction from the Hon’ble Supreme Court, then we will review it. But for now, there is no need to implement it immediately,” she said.
Referring to discussions on social media, the Minister said that some confusion was being created regarding the issuance of an order, but maintained that no order has been issued and there is no immediate enforcement of the TET requirement in J&K at present.
“When it is implemented across India, and if at all there is any stage left, Jammu and Kashmir will be at the end. Until then, it will not be implemented,” she added.
The order was based on the Supreme Court judgment dated September 1, 2025, which held that TET qualification is mandatory for in-service teachers in non-minority institutions, with limited relief granted to those having less than five years of service remaining.
In the order it was stated that the Law Department had further clarified that the judgment operates as a binding precedent under Article 141 of the Constitution and applies to all similarly placed teachers in government and private schools, including those appointed prior to the enactment of the RTE Act.
Against this backdrop, the Minister stated that there is no immediate enforcement in J&K at present and that the government will examine the implementation pattern across other states before taking a final call. (JKNS)
