6.6L likely to get UPTET certificate after SC verdict | Education

A recent verdict by the Supreme Court that is said to be a setback for B.Ed candidates across the country, has come as a relief for 6.60 lakh people who have cleared the Uttar Pradesh Teachers’ Eligibility Test (UPTET)-2021.

Ruling in favour of the Rajasthan government, the court, upholding a lower court’s decision, has stated that only holders of Diploma in Elementary Education (D.EI.Ed) certificates will be eligible to become primary-grade teachers.

The verdict paves the way for the 6.60 lakh people to get their UPTET certificates, the distribution of which was halted owing to the matter being sub-judice.

The UPTET-2021 was held on January 23 this year and its results were announced on April 8.

A total of 6,60,592 candidates were declared successful in the primary and upper primary level examinations of UPTET. Out of 11,47,090 who took the primary-level exam, over 6.91 lakh were B.Ed degree-holders and 4.55 others were D.El.Ed certificate-holders; 2.20 lakh B.Ed candidates and 2.23 lakh D.El.Ed candidates were declared successful, as per Examination Regulatory Authority (ERA) records.

Similarly, out of 7,65,921 who took the upper primary level exam, 2,16,994 (28.33%) were declared passed.

Prior to the distribution of the UPTET certificates, some D.El.Ed candidates filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court, based on a decision of the Rajasthan High Court disqualifying B.Ed-holders from primary-school teaching, and pleaded that they not be given the certificates.

Subsequently, the Prayagraj-headquartered Examination Regulatory Authority postponed the certificate distribution until the court’s decision. In the meantime, the Supreme Court issued a ruling settling the dispute in the petition that challenged the Rajasthan High Court’s decision.

ERA officials, however, said even if B.Ed-holders have been excluded from primary-level teaching by the apex court, the UPTET certificates would be given to all qualified candidates.

D.El.Ed is a two-year diploma programme for candidates aspiring to be teachers in primary and upper primary schools. At present, the course is offered by around 3,000 private colleges, 67 government-run District institutes of education and training (DIETs) and one College of Teacher Education (CTE) in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.