Patna: Bihar Government has decided to do away with the Bihar teachers eligibility test (BTET) for now and recruit teachers through the Central teachers eligibility test (CTET), conducted twice a year across all states.
The decision was after a review meeting held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Education) Deepak Kumar Singh. The meeting was called in the light of the Patna High Court order on a petition by candidates, directing the State government to take a decision holding teachers’ eligibility test (TET).
Clearing BTET or CTET is a basic requirement to be a teacher, according to the the provisions under the Bihar Elementary School Service (appointment, promotion, transfer, disciplinary proceeding and service condition) Rules. 2020.
“The Centre conducts CTET in July and December every year. There is no immediate need for another similar test at the state level. If a need is felt in future, the department will hold it, as per requirement,” said a letter from Director (Primary Education) Ravi Prakash to the Secretary, Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB).
BTET should ideally be conducted once a year, but it could be conducted only twice since the first BTET in 2011 due to various reasons. A large number of BTET qualified candidates are yet to be absorbed and they have also been agitating for seventh phase of teachers’ recruitment, which the department has announced would commence soon.
The decision to do away with BTET has come just ahead of the proposed seventh phase of recruitment of teachers. The department has taken a plea that holding BTET ahead of the seventh phase would further delay the recruitment process.
Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the decision had been arrived at after detailed deliberations to carry our seventh phase of recruitment smoothly, as adequate number of candidates having qualified teachers’ eligibility test are already there. “The already qualified candidates are demanding early start of the seventh phase. Once the seventh phase is over, the department will assess the vacancies and, if required, hold BTET,” he added. However, TET qualified students have been demanding immediate recruitment of teachers to clear the backlog.
