The Rajasthan High Court on Friday, November 26, 2021, clarified the eligibility criteria for the REET Level 1 Examination. The Rajasthan Eligibility Entrance Test (REET) Level 1 exam is meant for candidates who wish to teach classes 1 to 5. However, according to the Rajasthan High Court, candidates holding a B.Ed. degree will not be eligible to give the Level 1 exam. Instead, only those with a BSTC degree will be permitted to give the eligibility exam.
Earlier, there was a clash between candidates holding the B.Ed. degree and those with a Basic School Teaching Certificate (BSTC). So, the recent verdict was given by the bench chaired by Chief Justice Akil Kureshi, definitely instills a celebration moment for BSTC candidates. Two major decisions were taken during the court hearing. They are as follows:
- Candidates holding the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree will not be eligible for REET Level 1 exam. However, they will be permitted to appear for REET Level 2 exam.
- A relevant notification issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has been revoked. This notice had originally, allowed B.Ed. candidates to give the exam. It also equated B.ed. degree and elementary education which is now, no longer applicable.
This verdict by the Rajasthan HC came after three days of constant hearing and will now affect the future course of action for over 9 lakh candidates. Thereafter, all petitions filed by BSTC and B.Ed degree holders have been solved and sealed.
The HC hearing is in fact, a relief for BSTC candidates who had earlier faced tough competition from B.Ed. degree holders. However, the latter has not been totally discounted. In fact, the hearing has equally prioritized candidates of both categories. Hence, B.Ed. candidates will now be competing for the level 2 exam dedicated for Class 6-8.
There are two conflicting opinions about the Rajasthan HC verdict about REET Level 1 examination. Candidates have been incessantly expressing their views on social media, particularly on Twitter. The first group of people, supposedly B.Ed. degree holders are criticizing this decision. The second group of people is supporting the decision. Of course, they are BSTC holders.
With these conflicting views, uncertainty about the future is also entering the REET Level 1 picture. Now, will a different exam be held for B.ed candidates? How and when will the results be announced? Will a new exam be held for all candidates? Such questions are yet to be answered.
