Naidu raises allegations in Assembly
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the previous YSR Congress Party government of permitting "unprecedented" irregularities in the conduct and evaluation of the APPSC Group‑1 examinations, saying the process compromised the credibility of the State Public Service Commission and must be thoroughly reformed.
Speaking during a special discussion in the State Legislative Assembly, Naidu said the recruitment exercise for senior state posts under the Group‑1 notification of 2018 involved multiple procedural violations. He alleged that answer scripts were evaluated by persons who, he claimed, lacked the requisite academic standing — including plumbers, electricians, security guards, drivers, homemakers, sales executives and laboratory technicians — instead of the expected university professors and heads of departments.
"The system needs to be thoroughly reformed to ensure that such irregularities never recur,"
The Chief Minister said 1.14 lakh candidates had applied for the 2018 Group‑1 notification, out of which 325 were shortlisted. He asserted that despite the importance of the examination, answer scripts were handled without adequate security safeguards, drawing a contrast with the stricter measures used for Class 10 public examinations.
Allegations on evaluation, logistics and data handling
Naidu alleged that a High Court direction for manual evaluation was not followed in letter and spirit and that affidavits were filed which, he said, misled the court. He claimed orders amounting to ₹1.19 crore were issued to enable evaluation at the Hai‑Land resort and that logistics spending totalled about ₹1.14 crore. The Chief Minister said evaluation material was allegedly handled outside authorised channels: scripts were reportedly moved from the APPSC strong room, kept at a private facility for an extended period and shared as PDFs via private email, Google Drive and WhatsApp.
According to Naidu, after Gautam Sawang assumed charge as APPSC chairman, orders were issued for manual re‑evaluation and 49,000 duplicate OMR slips were printed. He said that on inspection of a sample of OMRs, alterations, overwriting and inconsistent handwriting were detected; the source material records that 734 OMR slips were examined.
Probe and institutional response
The High Court, the Chief Minister noted, later constituted a three‑member committee headed by a retired judge to inquire into the matter. Naidu said the anomalies would be comprehensively analysed and that further action would follow. He announced plans for an overhaul of the APPSC to strengthen evaluation transparency and tighten security standards, and said reforms would be shaped after consultations with the public and intellectuals.
Naidu also criticised the absence from the Assembly of the leader he said occupied the Chief Minister's chair during the previous government, calling for accountability.
What the allegations mean for candidates and the Commission
If substantiated, the accusations would raise questions about the integrity of appointments to senior administrative posts selected through the Group‑1 recruitment. Thousands of aspirants who prepared for years for these competitive examinations could be directly affected, while the APPSC's institutional credibility would face renewed scrutiny.
- Applicants in 2018: 1.14 lakh
- Shortlisted: 325
- Logistics orders alleged: ₹1.19 crore
- Logistics spending cited: ₹1.14 crore
- Duplicate OMRs printed: 49,000
- Sample OMRs examined: 734
The Chief Minister said the APPSC would be subjected to a complete review and that transparent evaluation procedures and stronger security measures would be instituted to avoid a recurrence. He emphasised that suggestions would be invited from citizens and scholars before finalising reforms.
Next steps and legal context
The High Court‑appointed committee is expected to complete its inquiry and submit findings; the Assembly remarks indicate the state government may pursue administrative and legal sanctions depending on the committee's report. Naidu's assertions add political pressure for a prompt and thorough investigation, while affected candidates and civil‑service stakeholders are likely to seek clarity on pending appointments and potential corrective measures.
As this is an ongoing matter involving judicial inquiries and proposed administrative action, officials at the APPSC and those of the previous administration have not been quoted here pending their formal responses.
