Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Raise Dual Demands — Restoration of Old Pension Scheme and Exemption from TET for Experienced Teachers

Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Raise Dual Demands — Restoration of Old Pension Scheme and Exemption from TET for Experienced Teachers

Jammu and Kashmir :  Teachers across the Union Territory have once again raised their voices before the government, demanding two key issues — the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and exemption from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for already serving teachers.

Teacher associations stated that throughout India, teachers and government employees have been continuously demanding the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme. Employees in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly those in the Education Department, have also been pressing for the restoration of OPS for those appointed after 2010.

So far, the Jammu and Kashmir government has made no official announcement or provision regarding the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme.

Teacher unions have warned:

> “We will continue our struggle until our legitimate demands are fulfilled. The government cannot ignore the voices of its employees.”

The associations further alleged that instead of addressing the long-pending demands of teachers, the government is now imposing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) on them. They argued that teachers who are already in service, especially those appointed under the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme, should be exempted from appearing in the TET examination.

They also emphasized that if the government makes TET mandatory, then the five-year service period of Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers (2000–2015) should be counted towards regular service, so that they can receive financial benefits and service-related entitlements.

Teacher associations urged the government to understand the sentiments of experienced educators and adopt a fair and practical policy in their favor.