The Supreme Court denied relief to Panchayat teachers from Bihar government schools who sought exemption from a competency test introduced by the state government in 2023, thus returning them home empty-handed.

The Supreme Court issued strong criticism against the teachers for presuming they could bypass the competency test and upheld the state law.

"Is this the level of education in the country? A postgraduate who gets a job and cannot even write an application for leave? When a state like Bihar tries to improve this system and conducts a qualifying examination for this, it is opposed," Justice BV Nagarathna said on the petition filed by the non-profit Parivartankari Prarambhik Sikshak Sangh.

Justice Nagarathna of the Supreme Court emphasized that teachers play a crucial role in nation-building, stating, "If you can't face these (competency) tests, then you should resign." She upheld a decision of the Patna High Court and dismissed the petitions challenging the state law.

 In 2023, the state Education Department utilized powers under Article 309 of the Constitution to establish rules for teachers employed by panchayats and local bodies, thereby equating them with school teachers recruited under the Bihar State School Teachers (Appointment, Transfer, Disciplinary Action, and Service Conditions) Rules, 2023.

However, the state also introduced another rule requiring a qualifying examination, which is conducted in a computer-based format by the Bihar School Examination Board.

The case involved approximately four lakh panchayat teachers. The High Court had ruled that unless contract teachers passed the eligibility test, they could not continue working. It was in opposition to this decision that the teachers filed their petition.