The Jharkhand High Court has put a temporary halt on new hiring and job ads for assistant teachers across the state. This move comes as the court pushes for the long-delayed Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test (JTET) to finally take place.
On Thursday, a bench led by Justice Ananda Sen issued the order during a hearing on a petition from 402 JTET candidates. The court told the Education Secretary, who attended the session, to make sure the Jharkhand Academic Council runs the exam by March 2026.
Teachers already in their roles won’t face any issues from this decision. But the state can’t move forward with filling other assistant teacher posts until JTET results come out.
The court didn’t hold back its frustration over the exam’s nine-year gap. It banned any new teacher recruitment ads until JTET happens. “This is serious negligence,” the judges said on Wednesday, summoning the secretary to explain the government’s stance.
Lawyers for the petitioners, Aparajita Bhardwaj and Kushal Kumar, highlighted how the delay has hurt aspiring teachers. Thousands have lost job chances, and many have aged out of eligibility limits.
Jharkhand formed 25 years ago, yet JTET has only run twice—in 2013, when 68,000 candidates passed, and in 2016, with 53,000 qualifiers. Last year, the state advertised the test in 2024 and took applications from July to August. About 365,000 people signed up, full of hope.
Then, in June 2025, the Education Department suddenly canceled it. A committee suggested changes to hiring rules, and officials promised the exam would go ahead under the updates. But nothing has happened since.
This ruling aims to get JTET back on track and open doors for Jharkhand’s future teachers.
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