Sanjib Banerjee, J. - (1.) The propriety of the first Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) conducted in this State is called into question in the present proceedings. The examination for the year 2012 was held on March 31, 2013. The appellants assail a judgment and order of February 26, 2016 by which their petition under Article 226 of the Constitution challenging TET 2012 has been rejected.
(2.) Tet 2012 was held on March 31, 2013. According to the State, nearly 30 lakh candidates took the examination. It is also the submission of the State that appointments to more than 17,000 primary school teachers have been given on the basis of the 2012 TET results. Subsequently, the process of appointments has been de-linked from TET and passing the TET is now an essential eligibility criterion for the appointment as a primary teacher.
(3.) The writ petition was filed towards the end of August, 2013, nearly five months after the TET 2012 was conducted and the appellants participated therein. The appellants claim that the delay in coming to court was on the ground of collecting information and material, not easily accessible to TET candidates, relating to the format of the examination, the syllabus and guidelines pertaining thereto as may have been issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). There is no dispute that the writ petition was filed long prior to the results of TET 2012 being published. Such results were declared on or about November 22, 2013. Thus, that the writ petitioner-appellants did not wait for their results nor did they approach the court after being unsuccessful in the examination. They were in court some five months after the examination, but it was at least three months prior to the results of the examination being announced.;