Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has announced special leave for serving teachers appearing in the UPTET 2026 while Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure the examination is conducted with complete transparency, security, and convenience for nearly 20 lakh candidates.
The decision is aimed at supporting the professional growth of teachers and ensuring that no eligible candidate misses the Uttar Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (UPTET)-2026 because of official responsibilities.
According to an official letter issued by Special Secretary Awadhesh Kumar Tiwari to the Director of Education (Basic), serving teachers of the Basic Education Department appearing in the examination on July 2, 3, and 4, 2026, will receive special leave on their respective examination dates.
The Director of Education (Basic) has been instructed to implement the order effectively. Copies of the directive have also been sent to the Director General of School Education, the Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Council, and all District Basic Education Officers to ensure timely compliance.
Nearly 20 Lakh Candidates to Appear
Reviewing preparations at a high-level meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed that UPTET-2026 is one of the state’s most significant examinations and that its fairness, transparency, and credibility must remain uncompromised.
He said every candidate should receive a safe, well-organised, and stress-free examination environment, adding that no aspirant should face inconvenience due to transportation, accommodation, security, or other essential facilities.
The examination will be conducted across 955 centres in 60 districts in five shifts from July 2 to July 4, 2026.
A total of 19,94,661 candidates are expected to appear, including 17,67,180 candidates from Uttar Pradesh and 2,27,481 candidates from other states. Among them are 1,85,791 in-service teachers and 18,08,870 new candidates.
Separate TET for In-Service Teachers
In a major policy decision, the Chief Minister directed the Uttar Pradesh Education Service Selection Commission to conduct a separate Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers in the future.
He said serving teachers should receive adequate opportunities to establish their eligibility and should not face difficulties due to limited examination opportunities.
Special Transport and Security Measures
Considering the large influx of candidates from across Uttar Pradesh and other states, the Chief Minister instructed authorities to make special arrangements at railway stations, bus stands, and major transport hubs.
He directed the State Road Transport Corporation, Railways, and local transport operators to coordinate additional transport services and ensure smooth traffic management before and after the examination.
The Chief Minister also instructed officials to prevent unnecessary price hikes in food and beverages during the examination period.
Candidate-Friendly Examination Centres
Yogi Adityanath directed that every examination centre should have clean drinking water, hygienic toilets, shaded waiting areas, uninterrupted electricity, fire safety systems, and emergency medical facilities.
District control rooms have been asked to remain fully operational, while District Magistrates must conduct full rehearsals of all arrangements one day before the examination.
He also instructed that only officers with impeccable records should be assigned examination duties and that confidential examination material should be handled under the highest security standards.
Authorities have additionally been directed to closely monitor social media and take immediate action against rumours or misinformation related to the examination.
Districts with Highest Candidate Strength
Among the districts hosting the highest number of candidates are Varanasi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kanpur Nagar, Meerut, Mau, Moradabad, Agra, and Jaunpur.
Varanasi will host 1,27,239 candidates across 68 centres, while Prayagraj will accommodate 76,634 candidates at 53 centres. Lucknow will see 76,720 candidates appearing at 43 examination centres, with special arrangements planned to manage the heavy inflow of aspirants.
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