Maharashtra TET Postponed After Paper Leak: Teachers Left in the Lurch

When Ashok Kakde, a Zilla Parishad school teacher from Ingalun village in Pune’s Junnar Taluka, began his journey on Saturday morning for Hadapsar, he believed the biggest challenge ahead was the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled for Sunday. Instead, around noon, when he had almost reached the destination, a message on his mobile phone informed him that the test had been postponed after an alleged question-paper leak that came to light a day before the examination.

“I had travelled nearly 160 kms because my examination centre was in Hadapsar. I wanted to reach a day in advance and be fresh for the morning exam. Now I have to return home without even appearing for the test,” said Kakde, further highlighting that the examination has only been postponed, but the uncertainty over the heads of many in-service teachers like him has become longer.

Kakde is among many in-service teachers who had travelled to examination centres across Maharashtra on Saturday for the TET scheduled on Sunday. And for them, a postponed examination means delay in an opportunity to secure their jobs. With the June 28 examination postponed, teachers say they are now left waiting – not only for a fresh date, but also for assurance that the next attempt will be conducted without any controversy.

The urgency stems from the Supreme Court’s September 2025 judgement, which made the TET mandatory not only for new teacher recruitment but also for applying it retrospectively for in-service teachers having more than five years of service remaining. Widespread backlash had led to many review petitions in the SC. But dismissing them in May this year, the SC extended the deadline for such teachers to clear the examination until August 2028. Failure in doing so could eventually result in compulsory retirement.

The uncertainty looming over jobs of in-service teachers had triggered record registration for the June 2026 Maha TET, with more than six lakh candidates enrolled for the examination. This included a large number of in-service teachers. According to the data gathered by the Maharashtra government in February this year, over 4.4 lakh teachers – more than 90 percent of the state’s 4.95 lakh teachers in government and private schools – are yet to obtain TET qualification.

Teachers have pointed out how many of them have prepared for the TET examination, despite various challenges; in order to save their jobs. Sachin Mauly, who travelled from Naneghat region to Pune for the test, said teachers had spent the summer vacation on Census duty and were subsequently assigned Booth Level Officer (BLO) responsibilities for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before schools reopened. “Despite all this, we found time to prepare for the TET as it has become essential after the SC ruling. But the way the examination has been handled is extremely frustrating,” he said.

A senior teacher from Mumbai said how the large number of in-service teachers registering and travelling long distances for the TET reflects how seriously they have taken the mandate. “Teachers are doing their part. The question is whether the government is equally serious about ensuring a fair and transparent examination,” he said.