K-TET for teacher promotion: Kerala government freezes order withdrawing relaxation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has frozen the order withdrawing the relaxation in K-TET qualification for aided school teacher appointments and promotions.

The government had earlier announced the relaxation in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict. According to the new government order, K-TET has been made mandatory for those with higher qualifications. Education Minister V Sivankutty informed that the order was frozen after Left-wing teachers' organisations came out against it. The government will soon file a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict. A special exam will be conducted in February for teachers without K-TET.

The Supreme Court's verdict making the 'Eligibility Test' mandatory was issued on September 1, 2025. The state government issued the order following this. However, organisations complained that this would adversely affect teachers who entered service before April 2010. The minister said that imposing the eligibility test, which was started only in 2012 in Kerala, on those who entered service before that is against natural justice.

K-TET and Promotion

• The National Council for Teacher Education issued an order making K-TET mandatory for appointments after August 23, 2010. According to this, the appointment of those who do not qualify later will be considered illegal. They may also be dismissed from the service.
• Those with more than 5 years of service remaining must pass the K-TET within two years from the date of the verdict. Failure to do so will subject them to compulsory retirement.
• Those with less than 5 years of service remaining can be exempted from the exam until retirement. K-TET is mandatory for them if they want to be promoted.