LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh-teachers’ eligibility test (UP-TET), 2019, would be conducted on January 8. The qualifying exam was earlier scheduled on December 22 but was postponed following internet ban after agitation against Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) in several parts of the state.

The Higher Education Department has issued directions to the principal of all the degree colleges to declare holiday on January 8 to deal with the shortage of examination centres, if any, due to the sudden postponement of the exams.

Amit Bhardwaj, joint secretary, state higher education department said, “Holiday has been announced in all the degree colleges coming under the department in view of the UP-TET, 2019, scheduled on January 8.”

Director General, school education, Vijay Kiran Anand said the exam was postponed as candidates were not able to download the admit card due to internet ban but with the restoration of services, it is expected that applicants would complete all the formalities within next few days.

A record number of 16.34 lakh candidates have registered for appearing in the exams. A total of 10,68,912 applicants registered for taking the primary test are eligible for teaching in the state government-run schools upto class V. As many as 5,65,337 candidates have registered to appear in Upper Primary level exams (class VI to VIII).

Examination regulatory authority (ERA) holds the qualifying exam for recruiting teachers in government primary and upper primary schools. The candidates registered