Teacher TET Exemption
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Seeks TET Exemption for Pre-2019 Teachers
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Key Points
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Education Minister Sakina Itoo moved the resolution in the Assembly, which described the proposed change as a statutory amendment to Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
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The resolution was described as having unanimous support in the House; legislators Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Waheed Ur Rehman Para and Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh participated in the discussion.
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The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party did not oppose the proposal but requested that it be debated before the Assembly proceeded further.
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The Assembly Secretariat’s listed business initially specified January 1, 2019, as the proposed cutoff and identified Sakina Masood Ittoo as the minister scheduled to introduce the resolution.
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The same Assembly agenda also included a separate bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Societies Act, 1989, repeal the 1999 Self Reliant Cooperative Act and establish transitional arrangements for self-reliant cooperatives.
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a resolution asking the Union government to exempt teachers hired before October 31, 2019, from taking the Teacher Eligibility Test. EDExlive reported that the move aims to protect thousands of educators who joined before the region's reorganization. Education Minister Sakina Itoo introduced the proposal, which calls for amending Section 23 of the Right to Education Act, 2009.
The resolution won support across party lines in the Assembly. JK News Today noted that legislators including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ranbir Singh Pathania, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, and Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh participated in debate. Even the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party did not oppose the proposal, though it requested time for full debate before the Assembly moved forward.
Teachers Welcome the Assembly's Intervention
Teachers and their associations have praised the Assembly's move as a major victory. Dynamite News reported that educators welcomed the resolution and lauded Education Minister Sakeena Itoo's intervention on their behalf. Many teachers argued that requiring them to take the TET would force them to leave jobs they've held for years.
What the Resolution Actually Demands
The resolution asks for two specific actions. First, it calls for the Union government to amend Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. Second, it urges the National Council for Teacher Education to issue a formal notification making the exemption official. The cutoff date is set at October 31, 2019, the day J&K was reorganized under a new administrative structure.
A Debate Over Which Teachers Get Protected
The Assembly's agenda initially listed January 1, 2019, as the cutoff date. Teachers' associations and other sources pushed back, arguing this would exclude thousands hired between January and October 2019. FM Bharat covered the discussion, noting that October 31, 2019, became the agreed cutoff. This later date protects far more educators who joined during the regional reorganization period.
Next Steps for the Amendment Process
The resolution now moves to the Union government for action. Both the Center and the National Council for Teacher Education must act to turn this Assembly request into law. The Assembly is expected to continue debating the proposal when it reconvenes. If approved at the national level, the exemption would allow thousands of pre-2019 teachers to keep their jobs without passing the TET.
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