By TC News Desk
Agartala, 16th October 2025: A landmark Supreme Court ruling issued on September 1 has triggered widespread concern across India’s education sector. The verdict mandates that senior teachers with more than five years of service must clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within the next two years or face compulsory retirement. Additionally, teachers with less than five years of service must pass the TET to qualify for promotion.
In response, the Tripura Government Teachers’ Association (TGTA) has announced a protest march to the state’s Education department headquarters on October 18, demanding urgent intervention from both state and central authorities.
At a press conference held today, TGTA leaders warned that the ruling could jeopardize the careers of nearly 2.5 million teachers appointed before August 23, 2010. They expressed deep concern over the potential disruption to the national education system, echoing fears voiced by education experts.
The Supreme Court’s decision followed multiple civil appeals arising from conflicting judgments by the Mumbai and Madras High Courts regarding the mandatory nature of TET in minority and non-minority institutions.
Following the verdict, the School Teachers Federation of India (STFI) filed a review petition and urged both the central and state governments to reconsider the ruling. States including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh have already submitted review petitions to the apex court. However, TGTA leaders lamented the lack of a constructive response from the Tripura government. Despite requesting a meeting with the State Director of Education, the association has yet to receive an appointment.
The association also criticized the Tripura government’s stance in a related case concerning teacher employment, where it cited the September 1 ruling to seek job termination. The Supreme Court has since stayed proceedings in that matter. TGTTA condemned this move as unjustifiable.
In light of these developments, TGTA (HB Road) will stage the ‘Shiksha Bhavan Abhiyan’ protest on October 18 at 4 PM. The key demands include the immediate filing of a review petition by the state government and the issuance of a central ordinance to safeguard the jobs of experienced teachers.
