The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has constituted an expert committee to review the eligibility criteria for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) and State Teacher Eligibility Tests (STET). The panel will examine changes to include graduates of the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) in the eligibility framework.
The move comes ahead of the first batch of ITEP students completing the programme in 2027. Although NCTE recognises ITEP as a teacher education qualification, the existing TET guidelines do not explicitly include it as an eligibility pathway.
The proposed changes are aimed at aligning teacher eligibility rules with the integrated programme. However, ITEP graduates will become eligible to appear for CTET and STET only after the recommendations are accepted and the guidelines are formally amended.
What will the NCTE committee examine?
The expert committee will review the existing CTET and STET eligibility guidelines and recommend amendments to include ITEP graduates.
The panel will also examine provisions related to the conduct of TET examinations and the responsibilities of the respective authorities. It will suggest changes wherever required to align the existing rules with the new programme.
The committee is chaired by Professor Chand Kiran Saluja, former head of the Central Institute of Education at the University of Delhi. Its members include representatives from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Ministry of Education and NCTE.
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What is ITEP?
The Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) is a four-year integrated degree that students can pursue after Class 12. It combines subject-based education with professional teacher training.
Introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the programme prepares teachers for different stages of school education under the 5+3+3+4 curricular structure.
Unlike the conventional route, which requires students to complete a bachelor’s degree followed by a two-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) programme, ITEP offers an integrated teaching qualification.
According to NCTE, 409 higher education institutions have been recognised to offer ITEP, with a combined intake capacity of 38,850 students across 777 units.
NCTE to review teacher recruitment qualifications
Apart from the CTET and STET eligibility review, NCTE has constituted another expert committee to examine amendments to its 2014 regulations governing minimum qualifications for school teacher recruitment.
The panel, chaired by former NCVET chairperson Professor Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, will prepare a draft amendment to include ITEP as a recognised qualification for teacher recruitment.
Both committees aim to align teacher recruitment rules and eligibility criteria with the integrated programme before its first batch graduates.
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