J&K Assembly Passes Resolution Calling on Union Government to Exempt Experienced Teachers from Retrospective TET Rule

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union Government to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, to exempt teachers appointed before October 31, 2019, from the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

The resolution, moved by Minister for Education Sakina Itoo, had first been tabled earlier in the week but was deferred after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather informed that several members wished to speak. Following discussions across party lines, the House passed it by voice vote.

The text specifically calls for statutory changes to Section 23 of the RTE Act and directs the Centre to issue a notification through the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) exempting pre-2019 appointees.

The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that recognised TET as a minimum qualification for teachers. In May 2026, the Court extended the deadline for in-service teachers to qualify until August 31, 2028, and added the exam be held twice annually.

During the discussion, legislators across parties supported the exemption. NC MLA Farooq Shah argued that long-serving teachers should not be compelled to re-qualify, while newly appointed ones must take the exam.

Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi emphasized challenges in remote areas where schools already face shortages of subject-specific teachers, warning that rigid implementation could worsen difficulties.

Other members, including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Waheed Ur Rehman Para and Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, also contributed to earlier discussions.

Minister too thanked members for their support, adding that Jammu and Kashmir would become only the second state or Union Territory to pass such a resolution, after Tamil Nadu.

She added that the issue concerns the dignity of teachers who have already shaped generations of students, stating the government is not opposing the exam itself but objecting to requiring experienced teachers to “prove their worth” retrospectively.

She further added that the J&K government has already approached the Supreme Court and urged BJP legislators to raise the matter with the Centre.

Meanwhile, teachers bodies that include Jammu and Kashmir Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum (JKReTTF) and All Teachers Association J&K have long pressed for relief, arguing that retrospective application would cause hardship to those appointed under earlier rules. They insist the cut-off should align with the October 31, 2019, reorganisation date to cover all relevant appointees.

Pertinently, the Assembly lacks authority to amend the central RTE Act, however, the matter now awaits consideration by the Union Government and further legal proceedings.