Guwahati, Sept. 1 -- The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that qualifying the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for individuals seeking appointment as teachers and for in-service teachers aspiring for promotions.

For teachers appointed prior to the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), and having more than five years of service remaining, the Court allowed a two-year period to clear the TET in order to continue in service.

The judgment, delivered by a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan, also clarified that in-service teachers with less than five years of service left need not qualify for TET unless they wish to seek promotion.

The Court's ruling came in...