Cuttack: The Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (Special OTET) for in-service teachers of primary schools will be held on 20th July. A record number of 75,403 teachers have applied for this exam. Compared to previous years, this is a significantly higher number of applicants, making it a major challenge for the examination board to conduct the test smoothly.
This time, exam centers have been set up only at district headquarters, and the exam will be conducted across 193 centers in 30 districts.
To prevent cheating and ensure fairness, the board has warned that if any teacher is caught cheating, departmental action will be taken against them. The board has advised all applicants to be cautious while appearing for the exam. To prevent paper leaks, question papers will be sent to all centers in digital lockers, and CCTV cameras will be installed at the centers to monitor the process.
As per a directive issued by the School and Mass Education Department, teachers appointed before 2011 will not be eligible for promotion unless they possess an OTET certificate. As a result, many senior teachers are now compelled to appear for this examination.
In previous years, only around 7,000 to 10,000 teachers used to apply for OTET. But now, with OTET being made mandatory for promotions, the number of applicants has crossed 75,000.