Teacher Eligibility Test: Tamil Nadu reduces minimum qualifying marks for candidates with disabilities

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu govt has reduced the minimum qualifying marks for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) papers I and II from 50% or 75 marks to 40% or 60 marks. The papers are held for 150 marks each.This brings their qualifying range on a par with that of candidates belonging to the scheduled castes/tribes.In a release, school education secretary B Chandra Mohan said the move followed a recommendation from the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently Abled, which said that similar relaxations were extended to PwD in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha. “The revision aligns with the guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education to ensure equitable access for PwD candidates in teacher recruitment eligibility tests,” he said.The qualifying marks of candidates belonging to the backward classes, denotified communities and most backward classes remain unchanged at 50% or 75 marks in both the papers. PwD activist T M N Deepak, who has voiced the demand for revision of marks, welcomed the move.