In a significant move, the Kerala government has suspended the implementation of the Kerala Teachers' Eligibility Test (K-TET) for appointments and promotions in state-run and aided schools. The decision, announced on Saturday, comes alongside plans to legally challenge a recent Supreme Court judgment on the matter.
Government Freezes Order, Announces Legal Challenge
General Education Minister V Sivankutty stated that the instructions issued in an order dated January 1, 2026, are now frozen until further notice. The minister confirmed the state's intention to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the verdict, which the government believes unjustly impacts teachers appointed before April 1, 2010.
The Left government's revised K-TET guidelines were formulated in response to Supreme Court judgments that emphasized the mandatory nature of such eligibility tests. These rulings, dated August 7, 2023, and September 1, 2025, prompted the state to seek clarifications and examine the issue in detail before issuing new norms.
Protecting Teacher Job Security and Experience
Minister Sivankutty strongly asserted the government's commitment to safeguarding the employment of teachers who were appointed under the recruitment rules valid at their time of joining. "Not even a single teacher appointed before 2010 would lose their job," he assured. He argued that removing experienced educators with long service records would weaken the education system, contrary to the quality goals of the Right to Education Act.
The minister highlighted a key point of contention: K-TET was introduced in Kerala only in 2012. He stated that requiring teachers appointed years before this to now obtain a qualification that did not exist during their recruitment violates principles of natural justice. Furthermore, the government views placing pre-K-TET and post-K-TET appointed teachers on the same footing as a potential violation of Article 14 of the Constitution (Right to Equality).
Potential Consequences and Next Steps
Sivankutty warned that applying the Supreme Court judgment retrospectively could lead to widespread job losses, with serious economic and social repercussions. While a notification has been issued to conduct the K-TET examination in February 2026 for those wishing to acquire the qualification, the government promises all necessary legal interventions to protect pre-2010 appointees.
The minister urged teachers not to be anxious and directed department officials to expedite the filing of the review petition. This will be done after holding discussions with teachers' organisations and legal experts. The government's stance remains firmly focused on preserving the state's high educational standards, which it notes were achieved even before K-TET's inception.
