HYDERABAD: The Telangana Teachers Association, along with the All India Joint Action Committee of Teachers’ Organisations (AIJACTO), has called upon the Central government to urgently intervene in the Supreme Court judgment mandating that teachers appointed prior to the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act must clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years or face termination of service.

The ruling is expected to affect nearly 30 lakh teachers across the country.

A delegation led by Chava Ravi, president of Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TS UTF), met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, New Delhi, on Friday and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate relief for affected teachers.

During the interaction, teachers’ representatives demanded job protection for senior teachers, even if it requires legislative amendments. They also sought relaxation in the TET syllabus and qualifying marks, citing the long years of service rendered by teachers appointed prior to the Act.

Chava Ravi expressed concern that six months have already elapsed since the judgment, leaving thousands of teachers under severe mental stress. He pointed out that large-scale protests were held at Jantar Mantar on Thursday, where teachers from across the country staged a dharna demanding immediate government action.

He also raised additional issues, including abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), voting rights for primary teachers, minimum wages for contract employees, and repeal of certain provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP), which they claim adversely affect public education.

The minister termed these policy matters and refrained from making any commitments, reportedly leaving the delegation dissatisfied.