Primary teachers’ associations to file curative petition in apex court seeking TET exemption for in-service teachers

The Andhra Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Association (APPTA) and its parent body, the All India Primary Teachers’ Federation (AIPTF), have decided to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court seeking exemption for in-service teachers from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

In a statement on Saturday, AIPTF’s national executive secretary A.G.S. Ganapathi Rao said the decision was taken unanimously at an emergency meeting of the federation’s national executive committee, chaired by AIPTF national president Basavaraj Gurikar, and held virtually.

The meeting also resolved to continue its nationwide agitation until the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) was restored for government employees across the country.

Mr. Ganapathi Rao said the federation had already met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on three occasions, requesting the Centre to introduce a parliamentary resolution granting TET exemption to in-service teachers.

According to him, the Union Minister had assured the delegation that the matter would be discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The federation now decided to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister soon to press its demand. It also requested its counsel, Vikram Hegde, to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court at the earliest.

APPTA State president K. Prakash Rao said the federation had earlier been the first organisation to file a review petition in the case.

APPTA general Ssecretary Mehdi Mirza said the federation had also resolved to meet Members of Parliament during the upcoming Parliament session in New Delhi to seek support for two demands: exemption of in-service teachers from TET and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for government employees through parliamentary intervention.

Mr. Ganapathi Rao informed that AIPTF-affiliated organisations in various States were currently organising district-level protests demanding TET exemption for in-service teachers.