New Delhi, May 29: The Supreme Court on Friday granted an additional one-year extension to in-service teachers to acquire the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification, citing the need to ensure continuity in elementary education across the country.

With the latest order, the deadline for serving teachers to pass the TET has been extended from August 31, 2027, to August 31, 2028.

The relief came while the apex court was hearing a batch of review petitions challenging its September 1, 2025 judgment, which had fixed the original deadline for obtaining the qualification.

However, the court made it clear that no further extensions would be granted in the future. Delivering the judgment, Justice Dipankar Datta observed that more than 15 years have passed since the Right to Education (RTE) Act made TET a mandatory qualification for teachers.

“The period of 15 years could be considered more than sufficient time for a teacher to acquire the TET qualification,” Justice Datta remarked.

The Supreme Court also directed all State Governments and competent authorities to conduct the TET examination regularly, preferably twice a year, with an interval of approximately six months between successive tests. The measure is aimed at providing eligible teachers with adequate opportunities to fulfil the statutory requirement.

The ruling is expected to impact thousands of in-service teachers across the country who are yet to obtain the mandatory qualification while ensuring that the quality and continuity of elementary education are maintained.