PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 3 -- In a major setback to Shiksha Mitras, the Allahabad high court has dismissed a bunch of petitions seeking inclusion of Shiksha Mitras in the Special Teachers Eligibility Test (TET), 2026, which is going to be organised for working teachers. The Special Teachers Eligibility Test (TET), 2026 is set to be held on November 3. Dismissing the petitions filed by Waseem Ahmed and 220 other Shiksha Mitras, justice Manju Rani Chauhan held that the petitioner - Shiksha Mitras - cannot claim to be eligible to appear in the special examination simply because they are eligible to appear in the general Teachers Eligibility Test (TET). In this judgment, the high court also acknowledged that their legal status is different from that of working teachers and that the Constitution of India does not require the state to eliminate any distinction based on a valid legal purpose. In a judgment, the Supreme Court has made it mandatory for all teachers working in government and aided schools to pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). As per the order of the apex court, all the teachers currently in service, who do not have this eligibility will have to pass the special TET exam within the next one year. In case of not doing so, they may lose their jobs. Acting in pursuance of this order of the apex court, the Uttar Pradesh government decided to conduct special TET 2026 through the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission (UPESSC) for teachers, who are working in government schools....