PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 28 -- As many as 32,192 assistant teachers appointed to government-run primary schools in Uttar Pradesh on the basis of a BEd degree have applied for the six-month bridge course offered by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), officials said. The deadline for application has been extended from December 25, 2025 to January 19, 2026 to allow more eligible in-service primary teachers covered under the Supreme Court's April 8, 2024 order to enrol in the mandatory programme, said Alok Kumar Gupta, deputy director of the capacity building cell at the NIOS headquarters in Noida. By December 25, a total of 56,072 teachers from 36 states and union territories had applied for the course, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for 32,106 applications, the highest from any state. Most applicants from Uttar Pradesh were selected under the recruitment drive to fill 69,000 assistant teacher posts in government primary schools. After Uttar Pradesh, the highest number of applications were received from Madhya Pradesh (8,633), followed by Bihar (6,972), West Bengal (5,288) and Chhattisgarh (1,026), officials said. The bridge course was introduced following a series of Supreme Court rulings on the eligibility of BEd degree holders for primary teacher posts. On August 11, 2023, the apex court upheld a Rajasthan High Court verdict which ruled that BEd qualification is not valid for teaching Classes 1 to 5, for which Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) is the essential qualification. The court struck down the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) 2018 notification that had allowed BEd degree holders to teach at the primary level, citing concerns over the quality of elementary education. However, the ruling was made prospectively applicable, protecting teachers who had already been appointed. In a subsequent order dated April 8, 2024, the Supreme Court allowed BEd-qualified teachers appointed before August 11, 2023 to continue in service, subject to the condition that they complete a bridge course designed by education authorities. In compliance with the top court's directions, NIOS issued a public notice on April 7, 2025, announcing the launch of the Primary Teacher Education Certificate (bridge course) for in-service assistant teachers of government primary schools. The course received recognition from the NCTE on July 2, 2025. The six-month course will be conducted through the open and distance learning mode.htc...