The All Jharkhand Primary Teachers’ Association has expressed its determination to take action following a recent Supreme Court ruling mandating that teachers appointed before the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, must pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). In response, the association is calling for the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution opposing this decision.

According to the association, the government should model its response on steps taken by Tamil Nadu, which has sought relief for teachers impacted by the Supreme Court’s order. The state president, Anup Kesari, along with General Secretary Ram Murti Thakur, stated that the assembly’s resolution should be forwarded to the Government of India for consideration.

In a bid to further their cause, the association plans to engage with state ministers to present a memorandum focusing on their concerns. The hunger strike, which is scheduled to commence on October 22, forms part of their strategy to draw attention to the issues at hand.

Background on the Teacher Eligibility Test Mandate

The controversy surrounding the TET arose from a Supreme Court order issued on September 1, 2025. This ruling stipulated that teachers in service as of March 2015 must clear the TET within a two-year timeframe, with initial deadlines set for August 2027 and later extended to August 2028. Failure to meet these requirements could lead to dismissal for teachers with more than five years of service remaining post-2025.

The implications of this ruling are significant, impacting approximately 2.5 million teachers nationwide, with roughly 25,000 of those situated in Jharkhand. The order has provoked considerable unrest among the teaching community, leading to growing opposition and protests across the country.

Teachers’ organisations assert that the TET mandate should not apply to those hired before the RTE Act, claiming that previous qualifications were sufficient at the time of their appointment. This perspective highlights the retrospective nature of the TET requirement as unjust and inconsistent.

National Response and Ongoing Protests

The Supreme Court’s ruling has ignited protests from teachers across various states in India. Reports indicate that over sixty review petitions have been submitted to the Supreme Court, along with demonstrations in significant urban centres such as Delhi. Notably, on April 4, 2026, around 1.5 lakh teachers participated in a rally at Ramlila Maidan to voice their dissent.

Despite these protests, the Supreme Court upheld the ruling while granting an extension for compliance. The Teachers’ Federation of India has raised concerns regarding the legality and fairness of applying the TET requirements retrospectively, referencing multiple legal precedents that allegedly contradict the ruling.

The federation is pushing for a reconsideration of the September 2025 decision, drawing attention to earlier judicial outcomes that recognised qualifications predating the TET. They have called on the Government of India to address what they describe as inconsistencies within the judgement.

Jharkhand Teachers Seek Equality with Other States

The All Jharkhand Primary Teachers’ Association, under the leadership of Anup Kesari and Ram Murti Thakur, demands that the state government take similar actions to those of Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, both of which have initiated processes to oppose the Supreme Court’s order.

In Tamil Nadu, a parliamentary resolution was passed to seek exemptions, a move that the Jharkhand association is urging its state assembly to emulate. They intend to lobby state ministers actively to ensure that this issue is prioritised within the legislative agenda.

The indefinite hunger strike starting from October 22 is emblematic of the teachers’ frustration and determination to secure their rights. The situation continues to evolve, as they await a formal response from the Jharkhand government regarding their demands. The outcomes of these efforts may shape the future landscape of educational qualifications for teachers in India.

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