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Supreme Court of India· 23 March 2026

Under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and the NCTE guidelines dated 11.02.2011, is securing 60% marks in the Teacher Eligibility Test an essential eligibility condition where the guidelines themselves permit concessions to reserved categories?

Chaya & Ors. Etc. v. The State of Maharashtra & Anr. Etc.
2026 INSC 277
Coram: Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha; Alok Aradhe
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Answer

No. Clause 9 of the guidelines issued by NCTE itself empowers the State Government to provide concession to persons belonging to reserved categories and differently abled persons. Since the guidelines issued by the NCTE themselves permit such relaxation, the requirement of obtaining 60% marks in TET is not an essential eligibility condition; such relaxation only enables a candidate belonging to reserved category to participate in TAIT.

Headnote

Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 — s.23 — NCTE Guidelines dated 11.02.2011 — Clause 9 — Teacher Eligibility Test — Relaxation in qualifying marks — Migration to open category — Reservation — NCTE Guidelines dated 11.02.2011 — Clause 9 — Relaxation in qualifying examination — level playing field, merit unaffected — Held: A relaxation in the qualifying examination merely enables entry into the zone of consideration and creates a level playing field. It is not a relaxation in the standard where inter se merit is determined solely on performance in the main examination. (¶19, 28) Recruitment Rules — Employment notification — Migration of reserved category candidate to open category — Held further: Migration of a reserved category candidate who availed a concession in the qualifying examination depends on the Recruitment Rules or employment notification. It is permissible where these permit it, or are silent and do not expressly prohibit it. (¶19) Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 — s.23 — Essential eligibility criteria — non-fulfilment bars migration — Held further: A reserved category candidate who does not fulfil the essential eligibility criteria prescribed for a selection cannot migrate to an open category. Where the NCTE guidelines themselves permit relaxation, 60% marks in TET is not an essential eligibility condition. (¶19, 31) Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test, 2022 — Merit list — exclusion of more meritorious reserved candidate impermissible — Held further: Appellants more meritorious than the last selected candidate under the general category cannot be excluded from consideration under that category in the absence of any express prohibition in the Recruitment Rules or notification. Impugned judgment quashed and set aside; appeals allowed. (¶32, 33)

In the Court's own words
Paragraph 27Clause 9 of the Guidelines issued by NCTE dated 11.02.2011, for conducting TET, itself empowers the State Government to provide concession to persons belonging to reserved categories and differently abled persons. The State Government on 13.02.2013 has passed a Resolution. Clauses 1 and 2 of the aforesaid Resolution prescribe the educational and professional qualifications for teachers and passing of TET is mandatory. Clause 3 thereof only provides relaxation to the extent of 5% for the candidate belonging to reserved category and persons with disability for passing TET. A candidate belonging to reserved category must have an educational and professional qualification like any other candidate for appearing in TET and only relaxation which has been granted is in respect of qualifying marks to the extent of 5%. Thus, a candidate belonging to the general category has to secure 60% marks to pass TET whereas a candidate belonging to the reserved category or a differently abled person has to secure 55% marks.
Paragraph 31In the instant case, the requirement of obtaining 60% marks in TET is not an essential eligibility condition as the guidelines issued by the NCTE itself permits such relaxation. Such relaxation only enables a candidate belonging to reserved category to participate in TAIT. The inter se merit of the candidates including the respondents has solely been determined on the basis of performance in TAIT. Therefore, the Commissioner (Education), Government of Maharashtra erred in placing reliance on the decision of this Court in Pradeep Kumar (supra) and in issuing the consequential directions for preparation of the merit list. The Commissioner (Education) ought to have appreciated that Office Memorandum dated 04.04.2018 issued by Government of India (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension) applies in direct recruitments to Central Government jobs and services and, therefore, could not have been relied upon. The High Court also erred in placing reliance on the decision of this Court in Pradeep Kumar (supra).
Acts & Sections
s.23 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009s.23(1) Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009s.2(n) Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009Art. 16(1) Constitution of IndiaArt. 14 Constitution of Indias.8(1) U.P. Public Services (Reservation for SC, ST and OBC) Act, 1994

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Also decided in this judgment
Under the NCTE Guidelines for the Teacher Eligibility Test, can a reserved category candidate who availed relaxation in the qualifying marks in TET migrate to the open category on the strength of higher merit in the main selection examination?Under the Recruitment Rules or employment notification governing a selection, when does migration of a reserved category candidate who has availed a concession in the qualifying examination to the open category become permissible?Is a reserved category candidate who does not fulfil the essential eligibility criteria prescribed for a selection entitled to migrate to the open category?Where a qualifying test carries only a limited weightage in the final merit list, does a lower score obtained under relaxed qualifying marks give a reserved category candidate any advantage in the ultimate selection?Do concessions in fee and age granted to reserved category candidates amount to a relaxation in the standard prescribed for qualifying the written examination?
Plain-language answer prepared by the LexStreak Editorial Desk — verify against the judgment. Source: Supreme Court of India. Corrections