New Delhi: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has set up two expert committees to amend teacher recruitment rules and eligibility guidelines for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) and State Teacher Eligibility Tests (STET), paving the way for graduates of its four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) to qualify for school teaching jobs, according to orders seen by HT.
The move comes ahead of the first batch of ITEP students completing the programme in 2027. Launched in the 2023-24 academic session, ITEP aims to prepare teachers for different stages of school education under the 5+3+3+4 curricular structure envisaged by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The structure divides schooling into four stages: foundational (five years, ages 3-8), preparatory (three years, ages 8-11), middle (three years, ages 11-14) and secondary (four years, ages 14-18). At present, CTET and STET eligibility rules prescribe different qualifications for teaching Classes 1-5 and Classes 6-8. The 12-member panel includes representatives of the Union education ministry’s department of school education and literacy (DoSEL), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), the Rehabilitation Council of India and Haryana’s State Council of Educational Research and Training, besides academics from Delhi University. The second committee, constituted through an October 12 order and chaired by retired Delhi University professor Chand Kiran Saluja, will review CTET and STET guidelines and recommend changes to make ITEP graduates eligible for these examinations. The 10-member panel includes representatives from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), DoSEL, CBSE, KVS and NVS, along with Delhi University academics. It has been asked to submit its recommendations, along with proposed amendments to the TET guidelines, to the NCTE by October 31.
the existing recruitment regulations and TET guidelines do not explicitly include it as a qualifying degree Although the NCTE recognises ITEP as a teacher education programme. The committees will recommend amendments to address this gap and make ITEP an additional eligibility pathway. Until the changes are formally notified and incorporated into the relevant rules, ITEP graduates will not be eligible to apply for covered teaching posts or appear for CTET and STET on the basis of the degree, the official added. These include D.El.Ed, B.El.Ed, B.Ed and four-year integrated B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed programmes, subject to the prescribed requirements for each level. Qualifying the relevant Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is an essential requirement for appointment to covered teaching posts, along with other conditions set by recruiting authorities. Its mandate covers the relevant teaching levels, including primary and upper-primary classes.
“The first batch is expected to graduate in May-June 2027, by which time the amendments are expected to be notified,” an NCTE official familiar with the development said.
