The West Bengal Board of Primary Education announced that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled for December 24 is expected to witness participation from over three lakh candidates. Goutam Paul, board president confirmed that elaborate arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the test at 743 centres throughout the state, with five centres located in Kolkata, according to an official statement.
The TET examinations are conducted to facilitate recruitment in both state-run and aided primary schools. Despite a plea from BJP MP Dilip Ghosh and another individual to reschedule the TET due to a clash with the December 24 Bhagavad Gita chant programme, the Calcutta High Court declined to alter the examination date. The programme, named ‘Ek Lakh Gita Path,’ is scheduled to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata, as per the statement.
The court maintained that it could not grant the requested change in date, emphasising that the state government and Kolkata Police would ensure that examinees face no disruptions in reaching the designated five examination centres, the statement mentioned.
Bratya Basu, education minister, reassured on Monday that the TET would proceed smoothly on December 24. This year marks the second consecutive year in which the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is conducting the TET to fill more than 10,000 vacancies. After a five-year hiatus, the TET was reinstated in December 2022, with the board’s commitment to holding it annually to expedite the recruitment process.
The 2014 TET results had been marred by controversy, leading to a CBI investigation initiated on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Last year, nearly seven lakh candidates participated in the TET, which took place after the 2017 examination, it added.
With inputs from PTI.