TET Recruitment Deadlock Deepens in Tripura: CM Promises Early Action as TRBT Chairman Cites Pending Court Cases
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 24, 2026
The long-pending recruitment issue involving candidates who cleared the 2024 Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) has taken a fresh turn in Tripura, with apparently contrasting statements from Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha and Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT) Chairman Pratyush Ranjan Deb.
While the Chief Minister has indicated that steps would be taken to initiate recruitment of eligible TET-qualified candidates at the earliest, the TRBT Chairman has said that the preparation of a merit list based on the already-conducted TET examination cannot proceed until several cases pending before the Tripura High Court are resolved.
The developments came on a day when the agitation by TET-qualified job aspirants in Agartala Thursday escalated, with police using a water cannon to disperse protesters and detaining a large number of them. According to reports, around 100 protesters were taken to the AD Nagar Police Lines.
The Chief Minister's latest position has raised expectations among the TET-qualified candidates, who have been demanding immediate recruitment.
On September 17, Dr. Manik Saha had appealed to TET-qualified candidates to refrain from agitation, saying that the government was monitoring the issue and that candidates entitled to appointment would receive what was due to them. He also said he had instructed the concerned department to examine the matter.
Against this backdrop, the Chief Minister's assurance that initiatives would be taken for recruitment at the earliest has been viewed by the candidates as a positive indication that the prolonged recruitment uncertainty could soon be addressed.
However, TRBT Chairman Pratyush Ranjan Deb, while speaking to the media on Thursday regarding the recruitment of TET-qualified candidates, presented a different picture of the procedural and legal situation.
According to the Chairman, several cases relating to the TET examination are pending before the Tripura High Court. In his view, until the court proceedings are resolved, it would not be legally possible for the Board to prepare the final merit list on the basis of the examination already conducted.
He also referred to a High Court direction concerning additional marks awarded to candidates in connection with an allegedly incorrect answer in the examination.
According to Deb's explanation, a direction had been issued to award one additional mark to nine candidates for an answer considered erroneous. He argued that if the same principle were applied consistently, more than 2,000 other candidates who had given the same answer would also have to be considered for the additional mark.
The TRBT Chairman reportedly maintained that selectively granting additional marks could create legal complications and that applying the benefit uniformly to all similarly placed candidates would affect the merit position.
Chairman's remarks raise questions over merit-list preparation as the central issue, therefore, appears to be whether the final merit list can be prepared while the legal questions concerning the examination and disputed answers remain pending.
The Chairman's position is that the Board cannot simply proceed with the merit list without resolving the implications of the court cases.
The TET-qualified candidates, however, have been demanding that the recruitment process be completed without further delay. They contend that they have already cleared the eligibility examination and that prolonged uncertainty over appointment has created serious difficulties for them and their families.
Reports indicate that 1,856 candidates who qualified in TET-I and TET-II conducted in 2024 are at the centre of the current recruitment dispute. The candidates have said that document verification has already been completed and that they are waiting for publication of the recommendation/merit list.
The issue reached another flashpoint on Thursday when TET-qualified job aspirants assembled in Agartala demanding immediate recruitment and publication of the recommendation list.
The protesters sought answers from the authorities regarding the delay and demanded appointment of all eligible candidates.
The demonstration subsequently turned tense. Police deployed water cannons to disperse the protesters and detained several participants.
Our Agartala reporter's reported that approximately 100 demonstrators were taken to the AD Nagar Police Lines.
According to Sadar SDPO Panna Lal Sen, police had received intelligence inputs regarding a possible cognisable offence and used water cannons to clear the busy Office Lane road. Protesters, meanwhile, alleged that excessive force was used against them, including against women participants.
The protesting candidates have maintained that their demand is straightforward: recruitment of those who have already qualified in the 2024 TET examinations and completed the required recruitment formalities.
They have opposed any proposal that would effectively require them to undergo another selection process, arguing that they have already cleared the eligibility examination and have been waiting for appointments for a prolonged period.
Reports also indicate that the candidates have repeatedly sought meetings with senior government authorities and have threatened to intensify their agitation if a concrete recruitment timeline is not announced.
The legal dimension has become particularly important because the High Court has been dealing with multiple matters connected with TET eligibility and recruitment.
For example, a September 7, 2026 judgment in Paramita Ghosh vs. State of Tripura & Others concerned issues relating to the issuance of a TET certificate and eligibility conditions for candidates appearing in T-TET 2024.
The High Court has also issued directions in other proceedings concerning filling vacant teaching posts. In a September 9 order, the Court directed authorities to complete the process of filling 700 posts at the earliest in the matter before it.
The existence and outcome of the specific cases cited by the TRBT Chairman will therefore be significant in determining how the Board proceeds with the final merit list.
The latest developments have consequently created an apparent gap between the political assurance of early recruitment and the recruitment board's explanation of the legal and procedural hurdles.
For the candidates, the Chief Minister's statement raises expectations of an early appointment process. At the same time, the TRBT Chairman's explanation indicates that the Board considers the pending court cases and their implications for examination marks and merit ranking to be a matter that must be resolved before the final list can be prepared.
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