In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has stated that only individuals with a Basic Training Certificate (BTC) or Diploma in Elementary Education (D.EI.Ed) will be eligible for primary teacher positions. This decision, in favour of the Rajasthan Government, clarifies the requirements for primary-level teachers across the country and will have a positive impact on 6.60 lakh UPTET (Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test) candidates.
The Supreme Court’s decision supports a prior ruling from a lower court in Rajasthan and clears the way for the issuance of UPTET certificates, which had been on hold due to the legal dispute. The UPTET-2021 exam was conducted on 23 January 2022, with results announced on April 8 of the same year. However, the distribution of UPTET certificates was delayed by the UPBEB (Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Board).
Among the 11,47,090 candidates who took the primary-level UPTET exam, 6.91 lahks held B.Ed degrees, and 4.55 lakh held D.El.Ed certificates. Notably, 2.20 lakh B.Ed candidates and 2.23 lakh D.El.Ed candidates were declared successful, as per records from the Examination Regulatory Authority (ERA).
In the upper primary level exam, which saw participation from 7,65,921 candidates, 2,16,994 individuals (28.33%) were declared as passing. This underlines the competitiveness of the UPTET Exam and the substantial number of candidates benefiting from the recent Supreme Court decision.
The legal dispute stemmed from a Rajasthan High Court ruling that excluded B.Ed-holders from teaching at the primary-school level. In response, certain D.El.Ed candidates appealed to the Allahabad High Court, seeking to prevent UPTET certificate distribution based on the Rajasthan High Court’s decision. This led the Examination Regulatory Authority, headquartered in Prayagraj, to postpone certificate issuance until a resolution was reached.
Nevertheless, the Supreme Court’s intervention and subsequent ruling have resolved the matter, offering much-needed clarity on the qualifications for primary teacher roles in government schools across India. ERA officials have confirmed that despite the Supreme Court’s exclusion of B.Ed-holders from Primary Teacher (PRT) eligibility, UPTET certificates will be given to all candidates meeting the established criteria.
The verdict has been met with a mix of relief and anticipation among impacted UPTET candidates. The Supreme Court’s decision provides a clear direction for the future of the teaching profession in Uttar Pradesh. As the distribution of UPTET certificates resumes, 6.60 lakh individuals can now pursue their careers and start applying for the upcoming teaching vacancies in Uttar Pradesh as per the eligibility criteria.