Dimapur: The Nagaland Directorate of School Education has directed teachers appointed before the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, to mandatorily qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) by August 31, 2028, subject to their remaining service period.
The directive, issued on Tuesday, applies to all categories of primary and graduate teachers appointed before the RTE Act came into force and who had more than five years left to retire on superannuation as of September 1, 2025.
Teachers who fail to qualify the TET within the stipulated period will be compulsorily retired and paid the terminal benefits they are entitled to, the Directorate said.
The entitlement to terminal benefits will be subject to the prescribed qualifying period of service under the relevant rules. Where there is a deficiency in qualifying service, the matter may be considered by the competent authority upon a representation from the concerned teacher.
The directive follows the Supreme Court‘s May 29, 2026 judgment in Civil Appeal No. 1385/2025, State of U.P. vs Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust & Ors, and directives issued by the Nagaland government on July 29, 2026.
The requirement will also apply to all categories of in-service primary and graduate teachers appointed after the enactment of the RTE Act, 2009.
However, teachers with less than five years of service remaining as of September 1, 2025, may continue in service until attaining the age of superannuation without qualifying the TET.
The Directorate clarified that such teachers will not be eligible for promotion unless they have qualified the TET.
The notification comes as the state implements the directives arising from the Supreme Court judgment on the qualification requirements for in-service teachers.