The Punjab and Haryana high court has stayed promotion orders of approximately 2,500 teachers issued on June 4 by to the master cadre by the Punjab government.The petitioner had alleged that promotions are being made on the basis of PTEТ-1 and PTET-2 conducted for in-service teachers despite the fact that such candidates did not possess the mandatory teacher eligibility test (TET) qualification as on the prescribed cut-off date of June 2, 2025. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Acting on a plea from a teacher, Rajinder Kaur and others, the high court bench of justice Sandeep Moudgil and justice Rupinderjit Chahal sought response from the government by August 19 and ordered, “In the meanwhile, the promotion orders dated 04.06.2026, if not implemented as on date, shall be kept in abeyance till the next date of hearing.” The order was uploaded on Wednesday.The petitioner had alleged that promotions are being made on the basis of PTEТ-1 and PTET-2 conducted for in-service teachers despite the fact that such candidates did not possess the mandatory teacher eligibility test (TET) qualification as on the prescribed cut-off date of June 2, 2025. It was alleged that by allowing so the government is permitting retrospective acquisition of an essential eligibility condition for the purpose of promotion, which action is ex facie illegal, arbitrary, a colourable exercise of power, contrary to settled principles of service jurisprudence and the law laid down by the Supreme Court. The exam was conducted on April 19 for those working as elementary trained teachers, head teachers and centre head teachers.The plea sought directions to the state government to consider and make promotions only from amongst those candidates who were found eligible in all respects as on June 2, 2025. “The exam for the said promotions has been conducted in an illegal and mischievous manner, whereby as per the directives of the ministers of the sitting government, the exam was conducted in a closed room, while allowing the candidates to carry out cheating which is apparent from the fact that almost 98% candidates have cleared this test, whereas on all earlier occasions, this ratio was not more than 15-20%,” their counsel, senior advocate, Sanjay Kaushal had told the court. The plea demanded a stay on June 4 result declared in respect of these promotions by the state government.The plea also demanded that the Punjab Educational (Teaching Cadre) Group ‘C’ Service Rules-2018 be quashed as same fail to prescribe TET as a mandatory qualification for appointment and promotion in the teaching cadre, including promotion to the post of master cadre, despite such requirement being compulsory under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act- 2009 and the binding law declared by the Supreme Court in Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust vs State of Maharashtra.