Kolkata: The results of the 2023 Primary Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) have yet to be declared due to an ongoing legal battle over Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations in the Supreme Court, according to Goutam Pal, President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).
The exam was conducted on December 24, 2023, with 2,72,639 candidates appearing. However, nearly 15 months have passed without the results being announced. Pal said that although the results are ready, releasing them now could lead to legal complications.
According to the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) regulations, a 60 percent score is required to pass the TET. For reserved categories, including OBC, there is a 5 per cent relaxation, making the qualifying score 82.5 out of 150. However, a Calcutta High Court order has also deemed candidates who scored 82 marks to be qualified. “The issue is that if an OBC candidate securing 82 marks in TET is found ineligible for OBC status after the Supreme Court ruling, declaring them qualified now could trigger further legal cases. This is why we have to wait,” explained Pal. The uncertainty has also affected the recruitment of primary teachers. The WBBPE earlier issued a statement saying that it cannot release a new recruitment notice without a category-wise vacancy list from the State School Education Department, which is also on hold due to the OBC case. Pal assured that the TET results and the recruitment notification would be published as soon as the matter is resolved.