Overview

• Education Minister V. Sivankutty said Kerala will file a review petition or seek clarification on the September 1 ruling that makes TET compulsory for teachers already in service.
• The Supreme Court order requires even those appointed before the 2009 RTE Act to clear TET for continued service and promotions in Classes 1–8, currently applying to non-minority schools.
• Teachers with more than five years until retirement must pass TET within two years or face compulsory retirement with terminal benefits, while those with less than five years may continue without promotion.
• Kerala argues the retroactive application is unfair and urges the Union government to consider legislative steps, noting earlier state practices protected in-service teachers when qualifications changed.
• Officials and reports say the decision has sweeping national implications, with teachers’ organisations pressing both state and central authorities for relief, and the ruling grounded in the RTE Act, its 2017 amendment, and the NCTE’s 2010 norms.