March 10, 2026 : A growing wave of protests is emerging among teachers across Madhya Pradesh after the state government made it mandatory for teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act to pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Teachers’ unions have strongly opposed the move, warning that statewide demonstrations could intensify if the government does not reconsider the order.
The decision is expected to affect more than 1.5 lakh teachers appointed after 1995, along with their families, impacting an estimated 4.5 lakh people across the state. Several teachers’ organizations have urged the state government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that their appointments were made under recruitment rules that were valid at the time and should not be retrospectively altered.
The controversy began after the School Education Department issued instructions stating that teachers appointed before the enforcement of the Right to Education Act, 2009 must clear the Teacher Eligibility Test in order to continue in service. Following this directive, the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) in Bhopal instructed divisional and district education officers to identify such teachers and ensure they appear for the examination.
According to the order, teachers who still have more than five years remaining before retirement will be required to take the TET examination. They will be given a period of two years to clear the test. If they fail to pass the exam within this timeframe, they may face removal from service. The proposed examination is expected to be conducted between July and August 2026.
Teachers have expressed concern over the decision, stating that they were recruited legally under the rules that existed before the RTE Act was implemented. Many argue that imposing new eligibility criteria after decades of service is unfair and creates uncertainty about their careers.
Teachers’ unions have started mobilising support across the state. Jagdish Prasad Yadav, Provincial President of the State Teachers’ Association, said meetings will be organised in every district on March 15 to decide the next course of action. According to him, the unions will first request the Madhya Pradesh government to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.
Yadav pointed out that while the central government enacted the RTE Act in 2009, Madhya Pradesh formally implemented it in 2011. Recruitment processes carried out before that period followed different rules. He also noted that some states, including Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, have already approached the Supreme Court with review petitions and secured relief in similar matters.
“If the government does not move the court, teachers’ organisations themselves will file a petition,” Yadav said.
Meanwhile, the State Teachers’ Union has announced plans for a large protest in Bhopal on April 12. Union President Bharat Patel said teachers intend to meet Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh to demand that the state government seek legal relief from the Supreme Court.
Patel questioned the fairness of the policy, stating that most government employees are not subjected to repeated qualification tests after their recruitment. He argued that teachers who have served the education system for decades should not suddenly face the threat of losing their jobs.
Union leaders said they have deliberately delayed major protests until mid-March to ensure that ongoing school examinations and student results are not disrupted. However, once the exam period ends, teachers’ organisations plan to intensify their agitation.
If the issue remains unresolved, large-scale demonstrations are expected to take place across Madhya Pradesh in April, which could affect the functioning of schools and the broader education system. With unions preparing for legal action and protests, the dispute over the mandatory TET requirement is quickly emerging as a significant challenge for the state government’s education policy.
