Teachers seek immediate release of seniority list, TET-based promotions

Teachers have demanded the immediate publication of the seniority list as of April 1, 2026. They also sought the mandatory inclusion of columns indicating whether a teacher has qualified the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) Paper-I or Paper-II, along with the year of qualification.

In this regard, members of the TET Utteerna Shikshak Sanjha Manch submitted a memorandum to the joint director of education, Durg, on June 24, seeking compliance with a Supreme Court ruling on teacher promotions.The teacher body highlighted that the Supreme Court, in its judgement on September 1, 2025, ruled that passing the TET is mandatory for continuing in service and for obtaining promotions. The delegation urged the joint director to ensure that the state government follows the apex court guidelines and completes the promotion process within the stipulated time frame.The memorandum cited observations made by Supreme Court Judge Justice Dipankar Datta, who emphasised that there can be no compromise on the quality of education. Education experts also suggest that the apex court ruling makes TET mandatory for all future promotions. Several teachers from Durg division were present during the submission of the memorandum.Manch secretary Jitendra Dahat told TOI that possibly the state government has misinterpreted the Supreme Court’s order on the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and has halted promotions until 2028.

“The Supreme Court ordered that TET is mandatory for consideration of promotion, but the judgment does not direct governments to suspend promotions of teachers who already possess TET qualification. Teachers aspiring for promotion must qualify TET; otherwise, they have no right to be considered for promotion,” he said.“There are around 20,000 TET-qualified teachers in the state out of a total teaching workforce of 1.8 lakh.

Every year, about 4,000-5,000 teachers receive promotions, but no promotions have taken place for the last two-and-a-half years,” he said.Dahat added that the joint directors of the state’s five divisions issue lists of teachers eligible for promotion. “We want transparency in these lists by clearly mentioning whether the teachers are TET-qualified,” he said.He further pointed out that the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted twice a year, providing more opportunities to teaching aspirants, whereas the state government conducts the TET only once every two years.

“We demand that the state government follow the CTET pattern. We have learnt that the government is considering conducting a departmental TET, which is not acceptable to teachers. The TET should be conducted in accordance with NCTE norms,” he said.Meanwhile, a section of teachers in Chhattisgarh has expressed concern over the mandatory requirement of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for promotions, describing it as unfair to those appointed before TET became a compulsory qualification.

Chhattisgarh Shaleya Shikshak Sangh representatives argued that many teachers recruited when TET was not part of the eligibility criteria and therefore should not be imposed retrospectively as a condition for career advancement.

Sangh state president Virendra Dubey urged the state government to file a review petition before the Supreme Court seeking reconsideration of the ruling. The teachers also demanded exemption from the TET requirement for promotions, stating that their years of service and experience should be duly recognised.Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI), Chhattisgarh, Deputy Director A. N. Banjara said the Supreme Court has categorically held that TET is mandatory for both recruitment and promotion. Responding to allegations that promotions have remained stalled for the past two and a half years, he said the department would examine the issue. Addressing the TET-qualified teachers’ demand for transparency, Banjara said that if they believe non-TET-qualified teachers are being promoted, they should submit evidence to support their claim.

He also clarified that the state government has not issued any order suspending promotions.