The Supreme Court has ruled that passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for both aspiring teachers and current educators seeking promotions. However, the court clarified that this requirement does not apply to educational institutions with minority status. The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Dutta and Manmohan, specified that teachers who have less than five years of service remaining before retirement are exempt from this examination to retain their positions. Nonetheless, those wishing to advance in their careers must pass the TET.

The court also mandated that teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education Act (2009), who have more than five years of service left, must pass the TET within two years. Failure to do so will result in job loss. These teachers will only be entitled to permanent benefits. In a relief for minority institutions, the Supreme Court stated that this ruling will not currently apply to them. The court noted that whether the RTE Act applies to minority schools is a legal question pending before a larger bench of the Supreme Court. Until a final decision is reached, TET will not be compulsory for teachers in minority institutions.