PRAYAGRAJ, March 25 -- In a major relief for teaching aspirants, the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UP-TET) notification has been amended by the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC), allowing a wider pool of candidates to apply. The decision was taken during a commission meeting held on Tuesday. Earlier, only candidates in the final year or those who had already passed were considered eligible, confirmed officials. Hindustan Times in its report "UP-TET 2026: Notification renders nearly 3 lakh DElEd trainees ineligible" published on March 23 had highlighted the issue. According to the revised provisions, all trainees of the Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd)-including those in the first and second semesters-as well as all serving assistant teachers, are now eligible to apply for TET-2026. The DElEd programme, formerly known as the Basic Training Certificate (BTC), is a two-year diploma for candidates aspiring to teach in government-run primary and upper primary schools. The move comes after concerns were raised regarding the initial advertisement released on March 20, which had excluded a large number of candidates. Reports highlighted that nearly three lakh DElEd trainees and thousands of government teachers were unable to apply under the earlier criteria. Following this, the commission reviewed the matter and decided to amend the rules. In an official corrigendum issued by deputy secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh on Tuesday, it was clarified that candidates who have already taken admission or are currently pursuing teacher's training courses will now be considered eligible for the exam. Additionally, in compliance with directions from the Supreme Court, all serving assistant teachers have also been permitted to appear for the examination. Candidates previously excluded-such as those selected on the basis of BPEd, DPEd, and CPEd training qualifications-have now been included as well. The commission said that the revisions have been made in accordance with court orders and guidelines of the National Council for Teacher Education. With these changes, a significantly larger number of candidates will now be able to participate in TET-2026....