The Andhra Pradesh teacher recruitment process, branded the ‘Mega DSC–2025’ by the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has erupted into a full‑blown controversy with opposition parties, aspirants and activists alleging widespread irregularities including paper leaks, sale of Sports Quota posts, merit‑list manipulation and intimidation of complainants. The charges have prompted demands for an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a judicial inquiry headed by a sitting High Court judge.
Allegations of concentrated control and sidelined committees
YSRCP leaders say the recruitment- which affects lakhs of unemployed aspirants- was concentrated in the hands of a few insiders while the constitutionally and administratively mandated District Selection Committees (DSC) were sidelined. “District Selection Committee recruitment is an extremely sensitive process connected to the lives and future of lakhs of unemployed aspirants. Why was such an important system kept under the control of a select few?” opposition leaders asked, accusing the government of bypassing established checks and balances.
Questions over personnel changes and conflict of interest
The controversy intensified when the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) convener was abruptly removed in the middle of the examination process, prompting demands to know under whose pressure the removal occurred and why. Observers also questioned the decision to place both TET and DSC responsibilities on the same officer, calling it a potential misuse of authority that undermines independent oversight of the two linked processes.
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Paper‑preparation and contract‑staff concerns
Central to the outrage is the role of contract employees in the State Council of Educational Research and Training’s (SCERT) digital wing. Allegations state that highly confidential responsibilities- such as preparing and uploading question papers- were entrusted to outsourcing staff rather than permanent government officials. Even more damning are claims that a contract employee who participated in the question‑paper process also sat for the DSC exam and emerged as the Krishna district topper and a Zone‑2 state rank holder. YSRCP called this a criminal conflict of interest and demanded answers about how contract staff obtained such access.
Demand for ‘CBI probe’ and reversal of disputed orders
While speaking exclusively to The Financial Express Digital, YSRCP senior party leader and former minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said, “I strongly condemn the growing irregularities in the DSC recruitment process, which with each passing day reveal deeper manipulation and corruption that have denied genuine, meritorious candidates their rightful opportunities. What was presented as a “Mega DSC” has clearly turned into a “Mega Manipulation DSC.”
“Out of nearly 16,000 teacher posts, 421 were filled under the Sports Quota without written examinations, while over 3.03 lakh candidates sat for the tests. The earlier, transparent system under GO MS No.74 (09-08-2012)- which limited eligibility to achievements in 29 recognised sports and required all claimants to write the exam, with ties decided by written marks — was abruptly altered after Chandrababu Naidu returned to power,” Nani added.
“Just before CM Naidu’s birthday in April 2025, GO MS No.47 and GO MS No.4 were issued to allow direct recruitments; they expanded eligible sports from 29 to 65 (adding disciplines such as Carrom, Tennikoit, Tennis Ball Cricket, Tug of War and Yoga), reversed priority so mere national participants were favoured over national champions, and opened the door for hastily formed associations and allegedly fake certificates to secure jobs for the favoured few,” YSRCP leader Perni Venkataramaiah further stated.
“We demand accountability and a full CBI inquiry into this fraud, including probing the alleged role of Ravi Naidu, reportedly close to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, in orchestrating this operation. If GO MS No.47 of April 19, 2025 was lawful and justified, why was it quietly withdrawn and replaced by GO MS No.56 on May 15 restoring the earlier system and reinstating mandatory written exams? Those who expose these injustices are being censored and persecuted, but we stand with the thousands of students who were wronged. Arrest as many as you like; fill your jails- we will not be silenced until the deserving are delivered justice,” Venkataramaiah told the Financial Express.com.
TDP MP calls DSC allegations ‘fabricated’, says party ready for probe
TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu dismissed the DSC controversy as a manufactured issue by the YSRCP designed to create confusion among youth and distract from the Mahanadu conclave. Speaking exclusively to The Financial Express Digital, he said the row lacks substance and is being used as a political talking point. “This is a completely fabricated story by the YSRCP and there is no truth in this matter. They are trying to divert aspirants and take away sheen from Mahanadu where around 17 lakh people participated,” Devarayalu added.
He further stated that while the TDP is willing to cooperate with any legitimate inquiry, demands for a CBI probe appear aimed at stalling the recruitment process and unsettling candidates. “We are ready for any kind of CBI probe but it should not impact the future of students,” TDP MP Lavu said, urging that investigations should be conducted transparently without harming the prospects of aspirants.
Opposition leaders demand probe and accountability
YSRCP leaders and other opposition voices have demanded immediate, independent investigations. YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the TDP government of converting the DSC into a “fraudulent” exercise that cheated lakhs of job aspirants and explicitly called for a CBI probe. In a post on X, he asked, “Was this really a ‘Mega DSC’? Or was it a ‘fraudulent DSC’ designed to cheat lakhs of job aspirants?” He accused the government of cancelling a previous notification, delaying recruitment for political gains, and then running a flawed process.
.@ncbn గారూ.. మీరు నిర్వహించింది మెగా డీఎస్సీనా? లేక ఉద్యోగార్థులను మోసం చేసిన దగా డీఎస్సీనా? పారదర్శకత ఎక్కడ ఉంది?
1.పేపర్లు లీక్.. డేటా డిలీట్.. మెరిట్ లిస్టు మాయం.. దీనిపై మీ సమాధానం ఏమిటి?
2.మా హయాంలో ఇచ్చిన డీఎస్సీని రద్దుచేసి, ఉద్దేశ పూర్వకంగా ఆలస్యంచేసి, కొత్తగా మళ్లీ…
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) May 25, 2026
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TDP minister rejects YSRCP attacks
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) working president and HRD‑IT minister Nara Lokesh strongly rebutted YSRCP’s criticism of the coalition government over the District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment, calling the opposition’s campaign “baseless” and politically motivated. Speaking informally to reporters at the Mahanadu venue in the TDP central office, Lokesh said the recruitment process had received judicial clearance and challenged the opposition to point out a single appointment made in violation of rules. He noted that multiple court cases had been filed against the DSC drive but that the judiciary had given a clean chit in all instances, and accused YSRCP leaders of continuing “false propaganda” even six months after appointments were completed.
Removal, data deletion and selective communication
After the issue surfaced, the outsourcing employees were removed from their duties. The topper’s details reportedly vanished from merit lists and online databases, and the government avoided publishing complete merit and selection lists. Instead, only selected candidates received SMS messages for certificate verification. Out of around 3,36,307 candidates who appeared for the examinations, messages were sent to those selected for 16,437 posts- raising alarm over transparency and fairness. Candidates also alleged instances of repeated mark changes online and disappearance of EPT qualification data from official portals.
Alleged sale of posts and audio evidence
The Sports Quota process has generated further uproar, with claims that nearly three‑quarters of the posts were sold through a network allegedly run by a politically connected “mastermind.” Candidates and activists say posts were negotiated in person, with reported market rates of around Rs 15 lakh per post. Audio clips purportedly capturing intermediaries negotiating in secret—saying things like “Don’t tell anyone and come secretly”- have circulated widely among aspirants and social media groups, intensifying calls for an impartial probe.
Fake certificates and quota manipulation
Complaints also point to large‑scale use of fabricated sports certificates to secure appointments. In Eluru district, a candidate with no sports background is said to have secured a School Assistant post on the basis of a forged national‑level certificate. Petitioners say agents arranged such credentials through complicit officials. In one court case from Rayalaseema, a local candidate challenged the allotment of a post to a non‑local in violation of roster norms; court records showed authorities cited outdated Presidential Orders while ignoring subsequent amendments, raising claims of deliberate legal obfuscation.
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Legal challenges and alleged intimidation
Candidates who approached the High Court reportedly faced pressure to withdraw cases, and at least one athlete from Anantapur said she received threats after filing a petition. RTI activists seeking DSC data say they met stonewalling despite statutory rights to information. The controversy deepened after the High Court described aspects of the episode as “shocking and malicious,” yet petitioners complain that no decisive action followed.
TDP response and denial of wrongdoing
The TDP has rejected the allegations. Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Dr Ponguru Narayana defended the recruitment exercise, calling the process transparent and properly conducted under Education Minister Nara Lokesh’s vision. “The process is going on in tune with the vision of Education Minister Nara Lokesh to keep Andhra Pradesh ahead in education,” he said, dismissing charges as political manoeuvring. TDP national spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram accused the YSRCP of politicising the issue and alleged that the previous YSRCP regime had avoided mass recruitment for its own ends.
Political recriminations and partisan narratives
YSRCP spokesperson Naga Malleswari called the TDP’s protest meets ‘desperate political drama,’ accusing the party of using theatrical tactics to divert attention from governance failures. She asked pointedly, “Is this Mega DSC or Daga DSC?” and demanded accountability for those implicated. The exchange reflects deep political polarisation: while the opposition presses for criminal probes and resignations, the ruling party insists the process was legitimate and accuses rivals of opportunism.
ఓపెన్ కేటగిరీలో ఒక అభ్యర్థి ఎంపిక కావాల్సి ఉండగా, వేరే కేటగిరీ అభ్యర్థికి ఎలా పోస్టు ఇస్తారు? డీఎస్సీ ఫలితాల్లో మొదట విడుదల చేసిన మెరిట్ లిస్టులను ఎందుకు తొలగించారు? వాటి స్థానంలో సెలక్షన్ మెసేజ్లు పంపించడం వెనుక ఆంతర్యం ఏంటి? ఇవన్నీ అనుమానాలకు తావివ్వడం లేదా? అసలు… pic.twitter.com/MarYS1slqA
\\\— Botcha Satyanarayana (@BotchaBSN) May 23, 2026
Aspirants and civil‑society groups are pressing for an independent, court‑monitored investigation or a CBI probe to establish facts, restore meritocracy and recover jobs for rightly eligible candidates. They demand immediate publication of full merit lists, restoration of deleted records where possible, registration of criminal cases if evidence supports it, and protective measures for whistleblowers and petitioners from threats or coercion.
స్పోర్ట్స్ కోటా రిజర్వేషన్ అమలులో తప్పులు జరిగాయని ఆధారాలతో అధికారుల దృష్టికి తీసుకెళ్లితే స్పందించకపోవడం ఏంటి? కోర్టుకు వెళ్లిన క్రీడాకారిణిని బెదిరించి కేసు విత్డ్రా చేయించే ప్రయత్నాలు చేయడం ఏంటి? అంటే డీఎస్సీ నియామకాల్లో అవకతవకలు జరిగాయా? సమాధానం చెప్పండి… pic.twitter.com/dqgdOoxBk3
\\\— Rajini Vidadala (@VidadalaRajini) May 23, 2026
The DSC controversy goes beyond routine recruitment politics. With lakhs of aspirants and thousands of posts at stake, the integrity of the process affects livelihoods and the credibility of public education appointments in Andhra Pradesh. Allegations of paper leaks, data manipulation, sale of posts and fake certificates- if proved- would mark one of the largest recruitment scandals in the state’s recent history.
Calls for an impartial probe and transparency
Opposition parties, aspirants and civil‑society groups insist on a transparent, impartial inquiry, either by the CBI or by a judicial commission led by a sitting High Court judge, so that responsibility can be fixed, remedies provided to affected candidates and public confidence restored. “If wrongdoing is established, criminal cases must be registered and those responsible must be prosecuted,” said a lawyer representing aggrieved candidates, echoing the widespread demand for accountability.
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