Sri Vijaya Puram, March 29: The Teachers’ Branch of the Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, convened a meeting of teachers to deliberate on the recent Supreme Court judgments dated 01.09.2025 (Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust v. State of Maharashtra) and 17.11.2025 (United Teachers Association, U.P. v. Union of India). These rulings mandate that all in-service teachers (PSTs/GTTs) with more than five years of as on 01.09.2025 must qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET/CTET).
The meeting expressed serious concern over the impact of this decision on lakhs of teachers across the country in general and hundreds of Teachers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in particular, who now face uncertainty regarding their service and promotions. The Directorate of Education has already issued a circular advising teachers to take immediate steps to qualify the examination.
Shri P. Jay Murthy, Secretary of the Branch explained the gravity of the situation, noting that lakhs of teachers nationwide are affected by the ruling. He emphasized that the Association will always stand for the genuine rights of government employees and urged teachers to remain united in their struggle. Shri R. Rajendran, Former General Secretary stressed that the Association must take up this issue with the A & N Administration and the Government of India to seek an amicable solution. He called upon teachers to organize demonstration programmes across the islands to press for exemption of inservice teachers from the TET requirement. Shri D. Ayyappan, Former General Secretary provided a detailed background on the Right to Education Act (RTE) and the NCTE guidelines mandating TET. He informed the gathering that several states including Kerala have already filed review petitions and that many Members of Parliament have raised the issue in Parliament. He suggested approaching the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers, New Delhi, and School Teachers Federation of India, to strengthen the collective voice.
Shri Mohan Rao, President of the Association chaired the meeting. Shri Rao reiterated the Association’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of teachers and ensuring that their concerns are effectively represented before the authorities.
Earlier, Shri Sasi Kumar, Joint Secretary welcomed the gathering while Shri E. A. Johnson, Treasurer, and Smt. Jothi Malar, Vice President expressed solidarity with the teachers and assured full support in pursuing the resolutions adopted during the meeting. Shri Suresh Lall, General Secretary, A & N Govt. Pensioners’ Association conveyed his support on this matter. The meeting resolved to:
1. Submit a memorandum to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor and A & N Administration to
pursue the matter with the Government of India.
2. Write to the Hon’ble Education Minister, requesting a review of the conditions,
considering the unique geographical challenges of the islands.
3. Approach the NCTE to explore alternative mechanisms for assessing teacher
competency under the RTE framework.
4. Seek legal advice for filing a review petition before the Supreme Court of India.
Other matters relating to the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and the functioning of
the Association were also discussed. Hundreds of Teachers from Port Blair and rural South
Andaman area attended the meeting and actively participated in the discussion.