The Karnataka government has taken a new step to promote high school assistant teachers to the post of lecturers in government Pre-University (PU) colleges after 14 years. Now, eligible teachers must clear an eligibility test to get promoted. According to the Cadre and Recruitment Rules, 75% of PU college lecturers are recruited through competitive exams. The remaining 25% come from promotions of government high school teachers. The last such promotion took place in 2011. To be eligible, teachers need a BEd degree and a postgraduate degree with at least 50% marks in their teaching subject or any optional subject studied during graduation. They must also have served for 10 years. If no teacher has 10 years’ experience, those with 7 years will be considered. The new eligibility test will be for 100 marks and include descriptive questions. Eighty percent of questions will be from first and second PU subjects, and 20% from postgraduate subjects. Teachers must score at least 50% marks to be promoted. Previously, promotions were given based on qualification and seniority without any test. Some high school teachers have opposed the test. One teacher asked, “Why is an eligibility test that is not applicable for promotion in any other government department being imposed only on high school teachers?” Another added, “It is unscientific to propose an eligibility test. Most eligible teachers have 10 to 20 years of experience and would only need training after promotion.” On the other hand, the Karnataka Government Pre-University College Lecturers’ Association welcomes the decision. Their president, A.H. Ninge Gowda, said, “All government recruitments are done through competitive examinations. Teaching at the PU level requires good quality lecturers. For the sake of quality education, the government’s decision to conduct an eligibility test is a good one.”