The Kerala government will provide temporary pay scales to approximately 20,000 teachers. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling on K-TET qualifications. Minister V Sivankutty announced the plan on Wednesday.
K-TET Mandate and Supreme Court Ruling
The Right to Education (RTE) Act requires teachers to pass the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET). The state previously exempted teachers hired before 2012. This exemption was based on concerns about the impact of immediate enforcement.
On September 1, 2025, the Supreme Court overturned this exemption. The court ordered the removal of teachers without K-TET. This verdict affects about 20,000 teachers and their families.
Government’s Temporary Solution
The government aims to protect these teachers while complying with the court order. Teachers must pass the K-TET within two years. The Supreme Court granted this two-year period.
Requiring teachers to work without pay during this time is considered unjust. Therefore, the government will grant temporary pay-scale approval. This applies to teachers appointed before September 1, 2025. The condition is passing K-TET within the given timeframe.
Expanded Eligibility and Promotions
Teachers with equivalent qualifications also benefit. These include NET, SET, M Phil, and Ph D. Decisions on promotions for these teachers are pending. The government will seek legal advice from the Advocate General.
Addressing Staff Fixation Discrepancies
The government will also review staff fixation in schools. This is due to discrepancies in Aadhaar-linked student data. These issues led to the loss of teaching posts.
Aadhaar is mandatory for accurate student enrollment data. Errors or delays in Aadhaar details caused some students to be uncounted. This resulted in reduced posts and job losses for teachers.
The minister stated no teacher should lose their job due to Aadhaar issues. The government ordered a re-fixation of posts. This will include students who applied for Aadhaar or corrections by July 14, 2025. This move is expected to reinstate teachers affected by technical issues.