CM Naidu slams YSRCP government for lapses in APPSC exam

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday introduced a scathing attack on the previous YSRCP administration in the State Legislative Assembly, alleging unprecedented irregularities, systemic compromise, and outright fraud in the APPSC Group-1 recruitment examinations conducted between 2019 and 2024.

Key points

• Out of 158 panel members chosen for evaluation, 72 were assigned duties, of which 25 were unofficial appointments, along with another 66 unauthorised evaluators.
• Detailing the procedural and legal violations, the Chief Minister explained that after the 2018 Group-I notification.
• Physical answer scripts were illegally shifted out of the official APPSC solid room and kept at a private resort, Hailand, for 84 days, alleged the Chief Minister.
• Naidu stressed that while even Class 10 answer scripts are transported under strict police escort, the previous administration treated the answer scripts of state administrative candidates with shocking neglect.
• In an egregious violation of basic examination norms, an active candidate who appeared for the Group-I examination was himself appointed as an evaluation examiner.

Speaking during a special discussion under Rule 344 in the House on "Alleged irregularities in conducting examination, evaluation and selection of candidates in APPSC Group-1 recruitment", the Chief Minister made public that the selection process for the state's top bureaucratic posts was severely compromised, with answer sheets allegedly evaluated by unverified private individuals, including electricians, plumbers, drivers, and daily-wage workers.

Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister observed that the APPSC, established under Article 315 of the Constitution to select key administrative officers, had its institutional credibility destroyed by the previous regime.

He criticised former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for failing to attend the House to address these serious charges, stating that those who committed systematic crimes while in power have a responsibility to face the public and answer to the Assembly rather than avoiding parliamentary accountability.

Detailing the procedural and legal violations, the Chief Minister explained that after the 2018 Group-I notification. It drew 1.14 lakh applicants for 325 shortlisted positions, the recruitment process was marred by continuous rule violations.

Despite clear directions from the High Court to scrap digital valuation and conduct a proper manual evaluation, the previous administration submitted misleading affidavits to the court and rushed through interviews and job appointments.

Furthermore, physical answer scripts were illegally shifted out of the official APPSC solid room and kept at a private resort, Hailand, for 84 days, alleged the Chief Minister.

In short, CM Naidu slams YSRCP government for lapses in APPSC exam is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.