UPSC Prelims 2018 Q21: Indian Polity – Social Justice & Vulnerable Sections

UPSC Prelims 2018, General Studies Paper I · Indian Polity

Consider the following statements: 1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education. 2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines. 3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 only

Explanation

Teacher Recruitment and Education Standards under RTE Act, 2009

Statement	Claim	Verdict	Detail
1	Minimum teacher qualifications are laid down by the State Council of Teacher Education	FALSE	Under Section 23 of the RTE Act, minimum qualifications for teachers are laid down by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) - a central body - NOT by State Councils.
2	Candidates must pass a Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) conducted per NCTE guidelines	TRUE	NCTE Notification (2010) mandates TET (state-conducted CTET for Centre/UT schools) as an essential eligibility per NCTE-prescribed guidelines.
3	Over 90% of teacher education institutions are under State Governments	FALSE	Actually the majority of teacher education institutions are in the private sector - a fact repeatedly flagged by the Justice Verma Commission (2012) as a quality concern. Direct-under-State-Government TEIs are a small minority.

Answer: (b) 2 only.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Incorrect. Statement 1 is wrong - it is NCTE (central) that lays down minimum qualifications, not State Councils.
(b) CORRECT. Only Statement 2 is right - TET as per NCTE guidelines is mandatory.
(c) Incorrect. Statement 3 is wrong - private institutions dominate teacher education, not State-run ones.
(d) Incorrect. Statement 2 is correct, so 3 only is wrong.

Key point

RTE + NCTE architecture: NCTE (central) sets teacher qualifications and TET framework. States/CBSE conduct TET/CTET. Most teacher education institutions are private - Verma Commission (2012) flagged quality gaps.

Remember

Under the RTE Act, minimum qualifications for teachers are laid down by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), a central body, not by State Councils. A Teacher Eligibility Test conducted per NCTE guidelines is mandatory. Most teacher education institutions in India are private, not under State Governments - a quality concern flagged by the Justice Verma Commission (2012).

Common mistakes

Assuming State Councils set teacher qualifications - it is the central NCTE under Section 23 of RTE.
Believing teacher training is state-run - private colleges dominate, especially in states like UP and Bihar.
Forgetting that TET is not one exam - CTET (central) and state-conducted TETs are all valid.

Exam tip

Who sets what: Qualifications = NCTE (central). TET conduct = state / CBSE. Curriculum for schools = NCERT / SCERTs. RTE compliance = State + Centre together.

Sources

Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 - Section 23
Justice Verma Commission Report on Teacher Education (2012)

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