kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : The  judgment that brings relief to thousands of aspiring teachers across West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has ruled that candidates who have completed the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) are eligible to appear in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2022. The verdict comes after months of legal uncertainty that had cast doubts over the academic future of many teacher trainees.

Passed by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, came in response to a series of petitions filed by candidates who had successfully passed the NIOS-conducted D.El.Ed. programme but were denied the opportunity to sit for the state’s TET 2022, a mandatory examination for appointment to government primary schools in West Bengal.

The petitioners argued that despite fulfilling all required qualifications as per guidelines set by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), they were being arbitrarily excluded from the TET application process by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE). The exclusion sparked outrage among candidates and led to multiple demonstrations across the state over the past year.

Justice Gangopadhyay emphasized that NIOS is a recognized institution under the NCTE framework and that its D.El.Ed. certification is valid for teaching eligibility examinations across the country. “The WBBPE cannot overlook a central educational body's certification without concrete justification. Denying these candidates their right to appear for TET violates both educational policy and natural justice,” the court observed.

The judgment mandates that all NIOS-D.El.Ed qualified candidates be allowed to submit their applications for TET 2022, provided they meet other standard eligibility criteria such as age and educational qualification. The court also directed the WBBPE to make provisions within 15 days for these candidates to apply, and if necessary, reopen the TET application window specifically for this group.

This decision has been widely welcomed by teacher associations and education rights activists. “Thousands of trained candidates were being unfairly kept out despite having pursued a course endorsed by the government itself during 2017–2019. This judgment corrects that injustice,” said Dipankar Sen, a spokesperson for the West Bengal Trained Teachers’ Forum.

The NIOS D.El.Ed. programme had originally been launched to upgrade the qualifications of in-service untrained teachers under a central government initiative. However, many pre-service candidates also took the course, and ambiguity regarding their eligibility has persisted ever since. The latest ruling clears that confusion, at least in the context of West Bengal.

Sources within the WBBPE have confirmed that they will comply with the High Court's directive and initiate a revised application process for eligible candidates. An official notification is expected soon detailing the fresh application dates and documentation requirements.

While the ruling pertains specifically to TET 2022, legal experts suggest it may set a precedent for similar disputes in the future. “This judgment affirms the validity of NIOS D.El.Ed., not just in West Bengal but potentially for teacher recruitment exams nationwide,” said education lawyer Rajat Mitra.

As the state prepares to hold the TET examination in the coming months, this decision is likely to boost participation and offer a renewed opportunity to thousands of deserving candidates who were previously sidelined due to administrative ambiguities.