Lucknow: In a significant policy shift, candidates belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) will, for the first time, be eligible for reservation benefits in the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UP-TET) 2026. The move comes as part of new guidelines issued by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPSESC) on March 20, marking a notable step toward aligning the state-level eligibility test with existing reservation frameworks.
According to the revised guidelines, candidates from the unreserved category will be required to secure a minimum of 60% marks, equivalent to 90 out of 150, to qualify for the eligibility certificate. Meanwhile, candidates from reserved categories, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), EWS, dependents of freedom fighters, ex-servicemen, and persons with disabilities, will benefit from a relaxation, needing only 55% marks (82 out of 150) to qualify.
Confirming the development, UPSESC Public Relations Officer Sanjay Kumar Singh stated that the inclusion of EWS candidates with a 5% relaxation in qualifying marks has been approved by the state government. This brings EWS candidates at par with other reserved categories in terms of eligibility concessions.
The decision is particularly noteworthy as EWS candidates were not granted reservation benefits in the previous UP-TET conducted in 2021, despite the introduction of the EWS quota by the central and state governments in 2019. Experts believe that the latest move addresses this inconsistency and strengthens the principle of equitable access to opportunities.
The policy also draws support from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines issued in 2011, which allow for relaxation in qualifying marks for reserved categories in accordance with prevailing reservation policies.
UP-TET 2026, scheduled to be held from July 2 to 4 after a gap of four years, is a crucial qualifying examination for the recruitment of assistant teachers for Classes 1 to 8 in government-run schools. The application process is set to begin on March 27, and the examination is expected to witness participation from over 20 lakh candidates, reflecting its continued importance in the state’s education recruitment framework.
Detailed scorecards of candidates will be made available on the official UPSESC website following the examination.
