The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has officially withdrawn the notice for the special Punjab state teacher eligibility test, scheduled to be held on March 8.
The decision was announced through a notice dated March 6. While attempts to reach SCERT director Kiran Sharma proved to be futile, education minister Harjot Bains confirmed that the withdrawal was a response to requests from teacher unions.
"The test stands cancelled as of now. The matter will be further reviewed,” Bains stated. He said there were equal number of teachers favouring the test to the teachers against the idea.
An official stated that the exam was a Punjab government initiative designed to facilitate promotions for primary, and art and craft teachers.
The decision for this was taken after the promotions of these teachers had been halted following a September 2025 Supreme Court directive ruling that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a mandatory qualification under the Right to Education (RTE) Act for all teachers. The ruling also stated that even in-service teachers with more than five years of service remaining must clear the exam to maintain their positions or promotions.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Teachers Front has decided to march towards the Punjab assembly on March 12, demanding a concrete resolution in light of the Supreme Court ruling.Vikramdev Singh, the state president of the front, claimed that minister Harjot Bains had assured them that the government will pass a resolution against the apex court’s decision, but no specific timeline was provided for this action.
