Jharkhand allows candidates with CTET/TET from neighboring states in teacher recruitment

Ranchi: In a significant ruling, the High Court of Jharkhand has granted relief to candidates from the state who have successfully cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) or Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in neighboring states. The decision directs the inclusion of such candidates in the ongoing teacher appointment process, specifically the Elementary School Assistant Teacher Joint Competitive Examination.

The Advocate General apprised the court that the appointment process for 26,001 assistant professors is underway, and the Tet will be organized once this process concludes. The High Court, while acknowledging the out-of-state qualifications, has laid down a condition. If candidates from Jharkhand, passing CTET and TET from neighboring states, secure teaching positions, they must clear the first Jharkhand Eligibility Test (JET) within three years.

The court clarified that if the State Government fails to conduct JET within this stipulated time frame, the condition would become null and void. In a bid to ensure regular testing, the High Court has mandated the state government to conduct at least one Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) every year.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Justice Anand Sen, issued this ruling after hearing petitions filed by the CTET Passed Candidates Association and others. During the proceedings, the Advocate General initially expressed reservations citing the absence of a regional language in CTET. However, the division bench instructed him to consult with the concerned state officials and emphasized the court’s directive to incorporate these candidates into the examination process.