The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed petitions challenging the Haryana government’s decision to extend the validity of the Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) certificates beyond the standard seven years. This ruling reaffirms the government’s authority to set the validity period for such certifications.
The High Court emphasized that the government is fully competent to determine the validity period of HTET certificates. The challenge was brought forth in a public interest litigation by Neelam Kaushik and others, contesting a public notice issued by the government. This notice extended the validity of HTET certificates issued in 2015 beyond their original seven-year term, a move questioned by the petitioners as overstepping government jurisdiction.
The state government had made this decision to allow candidates holding certificates from 2015 to participate in the recruitment for Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) without fresh certification, citing the absence of any TGT recruitments in the state from 2015 to 2022. The petitioners argued that such an extension cannot be granted after the selection process has begun and claimed that the certificates, which were supposed to expire in December 2022, were now unfairly extended.
In defense, the Haryana government argued that the decision was taken in accordance with established procedures and was within its jurisdiction, aiming to alleviate difficulties faced by candidates due to the lack of recruitment opportunities during the stated period.
Also Read
After hearing all parties, the High Court ruled in favor of the government, noting it was a valid and justifiable action taken in the interests of candidates who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to apply for public employment during the full validity period of their certificates. The court pointed out that the National Council for Teacher Education’s guidelines empower the government to set the validity periods for HTET certificates.
