PRAYAGRAJ, March 23 -- The Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UP-TET) 2026, scheduled to be held from July 2 to 4 after a gap of four years, has triggered controversy with nearly three lakh Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) trainees reportedly excluded under the eligibility criteria. The DElEd programme, formerly known as the Basic Training Certificate (BTC), is a two-year diploma for candidates aspiring to teach in government-run primary and upper primary schools. According to a letter issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) on August 4, 2022-based on a Supreme Court order dated July 16, 2019-candidates enrolled in teacher training programmes such as DElEd, Bachelor of Education (BEd), or Diploma in Education (DEd) are eligible to appear for the TET. The NCTE had also amended its February 11, 2011 notification to allow trainees from the first to the fourth semester to apply. However, the UP-TET 2026 notification, released on March 20 by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), appears to contradict these guidelines. The notification restricts eligibility for the primary level examination to candidates who are either in the final year of the two-year DElEd programme or have already passed it from institutions recognised by the NCTE and affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh government. Similarly, for the upper primary level TET, only candidates who are in the final year of, or have completed programmes such as DElEd (BTC), DEd, DEd (Special Education), BEd, or equivalent courses are eligible to apply. As a result, nearly three lakh candidates currently in the first and second semesters of the DElEd programme alone are ineligible to apply. The number could rise significantly if trainees from the early semesters of BEd, DEd and other equivalent courses are also taken into account. The discrepancy has sparked concern among aspirants and may lead to legal and administrative challenges ahead of the examination unless the commission addresses the issue, experts say. Prashant Pandey, media in-charge of Pratiyogi Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti-an organisation representing educated unemployed youth seeking government jobs-said the notification in its current form could affect lakhs of aspiring teachers. "The commission needs to rectify the shortcomings immediately," he said. While commission officials have largely refrained from commenting, UPESSC public relations officer Sanjay Singh confirmed that the issue is under consideration. "It is being looked into at the appropriate level," he said....