West Bengal Moves to Hold TET for In-Service Primary Teachers by 2028 Deadline
West Bengal has begun preparations for a TET for in-service primary teachers, who must qualify by August 31, 2028 under a Supreme Court timeline.
The West Bengal School Education Department has asked the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to prepare for conducting the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service primary teachers.
A notification issued by the department sought details from both bodies on their readiness to hold the examination.
The exercise follows a Supreme Court judgment of September 1, 2025 in State of Uttar Pradesh vs Anjuman Ishaat-E-Taleem Trust & Ors, which held that teachers appointed before the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 came into force must obtain TET qualification, subject to certain conditions.
A review order dated May 29, 2026 extended the window for securing the qualification from two years to three years. Eligible teachers in West Bengal must therefore clear TET by August 31, 2028.
The court has also directed states and competent authorities to hold TET periodically, preferably twice a year with a gap of about six months between exams, so that in-service teachers have enough opportunities to qualify.
State education department sources indicated that around 90,000 teachers handling Classes 1 to 8 may need to appear for the test. Teachers with five years or less of service remaining have been exempted from the requirement. The notification also noted that the Supreme Court has ruled out any further extension of the deadline.