JAMMU: In a key move to align with the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the Jammu and Kashmir government has named the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) and State School Standards Authority (SSSA) as the Nodal Agency for conducting the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) throughout the Union Territory.
The directive comes via Government Order No. 87-JK (Edu) of 2026, issued by the School Education Department’s Civil Secretariat.
It stems from in-depth discussions chaired by the Chief Secretary on October 30, 2025, and enforces a Supreme Court judgment affirming RTE Act provisions for all schools except minority institutions.
The court mandated that in-service teachers must pass TET to remain in service, with narrow exceptions.
Key exemptions and requirements include teachers with fewer than five years until retirement are exempt from TET for job retention but must pass it for promotions; those recruited before the RTE Act, with over five years of service left, must qualify within two years—or face compulsory retirement with full terminal benefits.
The Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department confirmed the ruling’s nationwide binding force under Article 141, making TET mandatory for teachers in government, private, and registered schools (minority institutions temporarily exempt pending larger bench review).
JKBOSE handles exams; online applications via NIC software on its website. District headquarters, plus Srinagar and Jammu would have centres.
For staffing and security, the +2 lecturers and assistant professors for invigilation; gazetted officers as observers, jammers, police support, and BNSS Section 163 restrictions as needed. This step ensures compliance and standardizes teacher qualifications across J&K.
The syllabus for TET will be aligned with the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines and based on the CTET framework, with suitable modifications in accordance with J&K’s curriculum and scheme of studies.
The Secretary, JKBOSE/SSSA, has been directed to take immediate steps for operationalization of the TET framework, notify a detailed examination schedule, coordinate with concerned departments for logistical and security arrangements, and submit a comprehensive action plan with timelines to the School Education Department at the earliest.
The entire examination process is to be completed within the next two years, as mandated by the Supreme Court judgment.
