Bhubaneswar, Oct 10: The Odisha High Court has scheduled a crucial hearing on October 28 to address multiple petitions challenging the state government's decision to make the Odisha Teachers Eligibility Test (OTET) mandatory for all teachers, including those appointed before 2009.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M.S. Raman issued the order while hearing a petition filed by teacher Rajashree Mahapatra. The court stated that all related cases opposing the mandatory OTET provision will be heard jointly on the scheduled date.
According to the petition, the OTET requirement was introduced in 2009 to ensure quality in recruitment, and was initially applicable only to newly appointed teachers. However, a recent bill passed by the state government has extended this requirement to all in-service teachers, regardless of when they were appointed.
The petitioner argued that applying the OTET mandate retrospectively to teachers appointed before the 2009 legislation is legally questionable. The petition highlights that the original law was meant to apply prospectively, impacting only future appointments.
The High Court has taken note of this argument and has directed for a consolidated hearing of all similar petitions.
The case is being represented by advocate Karunakar Rath on behalf of the petitioner.
Tags: OTET
