The Andhra Pradesh government’s ambitious Mega DSC-2025 teacher recruitment drive, aimed at filling over 16,000 posts, has become the centre of a sharp political confrontation.
Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders, including former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, have levelled serious charges of paper leaks, merit list manipulations, data deletions, and irregularities in quota implementations, prompting demands for a CBI probe. The ruling coalition has dismissed these claims as baseless propaganda, asserting the process was conducted with unprecedented transparency.
The recruitment, notified for around 16,347 teaching positions, including School Assistants, Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs), and others, attracted over 3.36 lakh applications. Conducted via Computer-Based Tests (CBT) by TCS, the exercise was completed in a record 145 days despite facing multiple court challenges. Officials highlight this as evidence of efficiency following years without large-scale teacher recruitments.
Core allegations and the government’s rebuttal
YSRCP has alleged widespread malpractices, including question paper leaks, arbitrary changes to merit lists, and denial of opportunities to deserving candidates. Party leaders claimed that teacher posts were allegedly sold for significant sums and have pointed to viral audio clips and candidate complaints as supporting evidence. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy questioned whether the drive was a genuine recruitment or a ‘fraudulent’ exercise, demanding Education Minister Nara Lokesh’s resignation and an independent CBI inquiry.
The government and the education department have strongly rejected these accusations.
School Education Secretary Kona Sasidhar and other officials maintain that the CBT format left no room for traditional paper leaks. They assert all objections, including those related to horizontal reservations, sports quota (MSP), and Persons with Disabilities (PwD), were reviewed thoroughly. Reportedly, the selections under sports quota followed G.O. Ms No. 4, prioritising verified achievements in national and international events.
Authorities have warned of legal action against those spreading ‘false propaganda’ and clarified that most grievances were technical or procedural rather than indicative of systemic fraud. Selected candidates have also come forward to defend the process, condemning misinformation campaigns.
Broader implications
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of high youth unemployment in the state, where government teaching jobs remain highly sought after. Critics, including some student organisations like ABVP, have called for a white paper on the recruitment to address lingering concerns over transparency.
The ruling TDP-Jana Sena alliance points to court dismissals of several challenges as validation of the process’s integrity. Ministers have accused the opposition of resorting to negative tactics after failing to deliver similar recruitments during their tenure. YSRCP, meanwhile, continues statewide protests and maintains that only an external probe can restore public confidence.