Chhattisgarh’s Directorate of Public Instruction has told schools that in-service teachers in Classes 1 to 8 must pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to stay in the promotion track, in a letter reported by Patrika on Friday. The rule applies to teachers with five or more years of service left before retirement, following a Supreme Court order on teacher eligibility nationwide.
The directive traces back to a Supreme Court ruling that made TET mandatory for in-service teachers seeking promotion under the Right to Education Act’s teacher-qualification norms. In a later review order, the court pushed the compliance deadline from August 2027 to August 2028, but it did not remove the underlying requirement: a teacher who has not cleared TET still cannot be promoted.
What the DPI letter says
According to Patrika’s report, the Lok Shikshan Sanchalnalaya (the state’s public instruction directorate) has written to education officials setting out the rule for teachers in Classes 1 to 8. Passing TET becomes a condition both for remaining in service long-term and for qualifying for future promotion.
For teachers who have not yet cleared TET, the state is required to hold at least two special eligibility tests a year under the Supreme Court’s direction. Patrika reported that a special TET sitting for non-TET teachers is planned between December and January, though the exact exam date, application process and test centres have not been announced yet.
How many teachers does this affect?
Patrika’s report on the new letter does not give a statewide count, saying only that the change could affect thousands of government schoolteachers in Chhattisgarh. An earlier Patrika report from Kawardha, published in July, had put one specific at-risk group at about 3,750 teachers whose jobs it said were threatened by the Supreme Court’s decision, a figure tied to that district-level report rather than this week’s directive.
Why teachers are pushing back
The TET-for-promotion rule has already drawn organised protest in Chhattisgarh. Teachers under the Chhattisgarh Sahayak Shikshak Samagra Shikshak Federation have demanded that TET be dropped from promotion criteria entirely, alongside separate demands on recruitment-rule inconsistencies and pension calculations.
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai met federation representatives earlier this year and assured them that no teacher would lose their job over the TET requirement, while the state looks at coaching support to help serving teachers clear the exam. That assurance addressed job security, not the separate question of whether TET is required for promotion, which the Supreme Court’s order already settles.
How this fits a wider national rule
Chhattisgarh is not alone in applying this requirement. The Supreme Court’s ruling covers in-service teachers under the Right to Education Act nationwide, and states including Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have gone through similar rounds of teacher protest over TET-linked promotions and job security. Patrika’s July report on the Kawardha district figures framed the issue as a statewide concern even before this week’s directive formalised it for Classes 1 to 8 teachers specifically.
The federation’s protests this year have gone beyond TET itself. Teachers in the Surguja division held a large rally in Ambikapur earlier this year, marching from Kala Kendra to the Collector’s office and then to the District Education Officer’s office, pressing demands that included a bridge programme for Bachelor of Education degrees, pension credit for pre-training years, and central-level pay scales. In Durg division, teachers separately asked the Joint Director to release pending promotion proposals and set a promotion counselling schedule, saying promotions had been delayed regardless of TET status.
None of those adjacent disputes changes the core rule this week’s letter restates: a teacher who has not cleared TET remains ineligible for promotion under the Supreme Court’s order, whatever relief the state offers on job security or exam support.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Chhattisgarh teacher need to pass TET now?
The new directive applies to in-service teachers in Classes 1 to 8 with five or more years of service remaining who want to be eligible for promotion. It does not cover every teacher in the state system.
Can a teacher who fails to clear TET lose their job?
Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai has publicly assured protesting teachers that no one will lose their job over TET, though promotion still depends on clearing the exam under the Supreme Court’s order.
When is the next TET for serving teachers?
Patrika reported a special sitting is planned for December to January, with the exact date, application process and centres still to be announced.
What should an affected teacher do now?
Watch for the Lok Shikshan Sanchalnalaya’s follow-up notice on the special TET sitting, since the department has not yet published the exam date, application window or test centres for the December-to-January cycle.
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