PRAYAGRAJ, June 18 -- Around 1.85 lakh teachers of Uttar Pradesh Basic Education department have applied for the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UP-TET) 2026, which is being conducted after a gap of four years, officials said. The development follows a Supreme Court order dated September 1, 2025, making it mandatory for teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act to qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). According to official figures, a total of 15,99,638 candidates have registered for UP-TET 2026, scheduled to be conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) from July 2 to 4. Of them, 1,85,791 are serving teachers of Basic Education Council-run schools. Many teachers have applied for both the primary and upper-primary level examinations, a senior official said. Under the Supreme Court's directions, teachers with less than five years of service remaining have been allowed to continue in service until retirement without clearing TET. However, they will not be eligible for promotion. Teachers with more than five years of service left must qualify the examination within three years, failing which they may have to opt for compulsory retirement. The court has also made it mandatory for teachers to clear the upper-primary level TET for promotion from primary to upper-primary schools. Teachers had challenged the provision twice before the Supreme Court, but their petitions were dismissed. Following the apex court's order, thousands of teachers in Uttar Pradesh have already qualified the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Since CTET is also recognised in the state, many teachers chose to appear for it instead of waiting for UP-TET to be conducted. Officials said the large number of applications from serving teachers reflects the urgency created by the court-mandated eligibility requirements and promotion norms....