Orissa High Court Questions OTET Requirement for Pre-2001 Teachers

Court Seeks Clarification on Teacher Promotions

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has requested the state government to clarify whether the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) is necessary for the promotion of teachers who were appointed prior to September 3, 2001. This request comes as the court has halted further promotion processes in the Dhanakauda block of Sambalpur district. The directive was issued by a division bench led by Justice RK Pattnaik during the hearing of a petition from Babrubahan Bhoi, a Level-4 trained graduate teacher at Nirgundapada Government Upper Primary School in Sambalpur.

The court instructed the District Education Officer (DEO) of Sambalpur and the Block Education Officer of Dhanakauda to refrain from advancing the promotion of Level-4 teachers to Level-3 Senior Headmaster positions based on the final gradation list and the approval order from the Director of Elementary Education dated September 3, until further notice. The case is scheduled for a final hearing on November 9. Bhoi, who ranked 77th in the gradation list, was omitted from the final promotion list due to not passing the OTET. He contested the DEO's decision and the directive from the Director of Elementary Education in the High Court, arguing that the OTET requirement should not apply to teachers hired before the specified date.

Citing the Supreme Court's ruling in UP vs Ishat-e-Taleem Trust, he maintained that teachers appointed before the cut-off date are exempt from the eligibility test. The petitioner's legal representatives, Dr. Purushottam Chuli and Preeti Punyatoya, also referenced a judgment from the Bombay High Court delivered on July 9, 2026, to bolster their argument. The High Court has further instructed the state government to provide a clear statement regarding the applicability of the OTET qualification for teachers appointed before September 3, 2001.