Overview
- The Supreme Court, which ruled on Friday, May 29, 2026, dismissed about 65–70 review petitions against its 2025 Anjuman Ishaat‑e‑Taleem Trust judgment while using Article 142 to extend the original two‑year deadline by one year to August 31, 2028.
- The bench reaffirmed that in‑service elementary teachers who have more than five years before retirement must pass the Teacher Eligibility Test to continue in service and that passing TET is required for promotions for all teachers.
- The court rejected claims that the TET requirement is an impermissible retrospective change and said Section 23 of the RTE Act and the NCTE framework require in‑service teachers to obtain minimum qualifications within the statutory timeframe.
- To ease implementation the court directed competent authorities to hold TETs periodically, preferably twice a year, and several states have begun scheduling exams now with Telangana releasing a June 2026 timetable.
- Teachers' unions and multiple state governments have said they will pursue legal and legislative remedies including curative petitions, fresh review filings and appeals for parliamentary amendment or an ordinance while the court warned no further extensions will be granted.