Amend RTE Act suitably to protect teachers, TN CM urges PM Modi

chennai: tamil nadu chief minister m k stalin on tuesday urged prime minister narendra modi to amend the rte act, 2009, and the ncte act, 1993, to protect teachers and keep them eligible for promotions.he said such amendments would ensure teachers' promotion eligibility and allow them to continue contributing without disrupting children's education.seeking the prime minister's support, stalin asked modi to instruct the ministry of education to amend section 23 of the rte act and section 12a of the ncte act.he said these amendments were essential to protect teachers in service as on august 23, 2010, and maintain continuity in education.the matter needed urgent attention as it involved lakhs of teachers nationwide, including many in tamil nadu.stalin cited a supreme court judgment requiring all in-service teachers without the teacher eligibility test (tet) to pass it within two years to stay in service. even teachers with less than five years remaining would be denied promotions unless they cleared tet.the ncte had earlier exempted teachers appointed before august 23, 2010, from new qualifications such as tet. but the supreme court's interpretation made tet compulsory even for these teachers, overriding the earlier exemption.“consequently, these teachers must pass tet within two years or face termination, causing major administrative and personal hardship,” stalin said.he said altering service conditions and blocking promotion opportunities violated the rights of qualified teachers recruited under valid rules.intamil nadu alone, nearly four lakh teachers fall under this category. they met all required qualifications at the time and were recruited years before tet was introduced in 2011.applying tet retrospectively for service continuation and promotions disrupted long-settled service rights, created administrative difficulties, and threatened the stability of the school education system.the nationwide impact was clear, he said. replacing such a large number of teachers was impossible for any state due to recruitment cycles, availability of candidates, and rural service conditions.further, denying promotions solely because of a new qualification introduced long after appointment caused severe hardship and career stagnation despite decades of experience.lakhs of teachers across the country would be affected by this interpretation of section 23 of the rte act, stalin said, adding that the disruptions also impacted the constitutional right to education under article 21-a.