Nagaland: Yhome rules out NTET exemption for pre-RTE teacher

Advisor for School Education Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome speaks to the media in Kohima on Monday. (EM Images)

KOHIMA — Advisor for School Education, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, on Monday ruled out any special exemption for pre-Right to Education (RTE) teachers from the Nagaland Teachers Eligibility Test (N-TET), saying the state government could not make an exception to a Supreme Court directive.

Yhome was responding to a media query on the sidelines of a meeting on the demand raised by the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of Pre-RTE Teachers. He said the government could not adopt a different position on the matter or grant special consideration to the teachers.

“It's a Supreme Court directive,” he said, ruling out any special exemption.

Questioning the apprehension among serving teachers about taking the qualifying examination, Yhome said many had entered service with the qualifications required at the time but had continued working for decades without acquiring additional qualifications.

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He said in-service training programmes were now available and maintained that the eligibility tests were intended to ensure teachers met the prescribed requirements.

The advisor cautioned that not qualifying could affect teachers’ promotion prospects and other service-related benefits, including remuneration. The precise consequences would depend on the applicable rules.