Chennai: In a significant move aimed at promoting inclusivity in the education sector, the Tamil Nadu government has reduced the minimum qualifying marks for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) Papers I and II from 50 per cent to 40 per cent.

With this revision, PwD candidates will now be placed on par with applicants from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Caste Arunthathiyars (SCA) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), who are also required to secure 40 per cent (60 out of 150 marks) to qualify in the eligibility test.

The decision was formalised through a Government Order (GO) issued recently. According to the order, the move follows a recommendation from the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently Abled.

The Commissionerate had highlighted that several other states -- including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha -- already extend similar relaxations to PwD candidates in their respective Teacher Eligibility Tests.

Officials said the revision is also in line with guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which emphasise equitable access and reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities in teacher recruitment examinations across the country.

The Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test, conducted to determine eligibility for appointment as teachers in Classes I to 8, comprises two papers: Paper I for Classes I to 5and Paper 2 for Classes 6 to 8.

Candidates are required to secure the prescribed minimum marks to qualify, though final appointments are subject to further recruitment procedures. The latest relaxation comes just a month after the state government revised the qualifying marks for candidates from various backward and marginalised communities.

Under the current framework, candidates belonging to Backward Classes (BC), Backward Class Muslims (BCM), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Denotified Communities (DNC) are required to secure 50 per cent (75 out of 150 marks) to qualify. By lowering the cut-off for PwDs, the government has sought to ensure parity and expand opportunities for differently-abled aspirants seeking to enter the teaching profession.

The move is likely to benefit a substantial number of candidates preparing for upcoming TNTET examinations and strengthen inclusive representation within Tamil Nadu’s school education system.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.