APPSC Group-I Scam Exposed: SIT Uncovers YSRCP-Era Manipulation in Recruitment to Andhra Pradesh’s Most Prestigious Civil Service Posts

Amid concerns over education and examination overhaul in the country, including recent paper leak allegations and student protests, the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission's (APPSC) Group-I recruitment scam from December 2020 has come under scrutiny, with a Special Investigation Team (SIT) flagging several irregularities in the valuation process.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) report submitted to the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Aug 10 has blown open serious irregularities in the APPSC Group-I recruitment process conducted during the previous YSRCP government led by then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The findings reveal that the examination process was repeatedly compromised across its three stages of evaluation, with answer scripts moved out of secure government custody, qualified evaluators sidelined, unauthorised personnel brought in and widespread alterations detected through forensic examination.

BACKGROUND OF THE SCAM:

For the unversed, The Group 1 Mains examination was held from December 14 to 20, 2020, with 1,14, 473 aspirants aiming to secure169 posts. The APPSC initially used digital valuation and declared the results on April 1, shortlisting 326 candidates. The valuation process was later changed after the digital evaluation was challenged, leading to two rounds of manual valuation.

The evaluation process was repeatedly compromised across its three stages of evaluation (Digital Evaluation in 2021 by TrueGrader EduServices; Manual evaluation in Haailand from Dec 2021 to Feb 2022 & Fresh Manual Evaluation in Vijayawada in 2022), with answer scripts moved out of secure government custody, qualified evaluators sidelined, unauthorised personnel brought in and widespread alterations detected through forensic examination.

The controversy led to multiple petitions before the High Court in 2022. On March 13, 2024, the High Court held that the second and third valuations were illegal and irregular and ordered the conduct of a fresh Group 1 Mains examination.

LATEST SIT REVELATIONS

Now, in the latest findings the SIT examined 736 candidate dossiers at seven Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs) and recorded statements from 173 witnesses, providing forensic and testimonial evidence of the irregularities. Here are some of the discrepancies found by the SIT:

Answer scripts moved to private- Haailand resort for 84 days; manual evaluation ordered

One of the most serious findings relates to the manual evaluation ordered during the YSRCP regime. The original Group-I Mains answer scripts were shifted from the APPSC Strong Room to Haailand Resort and kept there for 84 days, from December 5, 2021 to February 26, 2022. The SIT found no documented justification or APPSC Chairman's approval for the move.*

More strikingly, the 452 university subject experts assembled by APPSC were not used. Instead, 66 data-entry operators, including electricians, security guards, clerks, private teachers and housewives, were deployed. They were instructed not to open the answer scripts but to transfer earlier marks onto OMR valuation slips. The operators also signed as Examiner-1, Examiner-2, Scrutiniser and Camp Officer: conduct the SIT categorised as “Forgery and Impersonation.”

Private contract, fabricated evaluation and forensic trail

The irregularities were not confined to Haailand. The SIT found that the 2021 digital evaluation contract was awarded without competitive tender to TrueGrader EduServices, whose managing director was recorded as a college friend and associate of then APPSC Secretary P.S.R. Anjaneyulu. The investigation also found that the mandatory independent second and third evaluations were not actually carried out, with second-evaluation marks allegedly generated by adding or subtracting one or two marks from the first evaluation.

The forensic findings

718 of the 736 dossiers(97.55%) examined - showed alterations or overwriting. The examination also found 159 signature mismatches and 153 Chief Examiner alterations. In one case, CFSL analysis found two fundamentally different handwritings in a candidate's answer scripts, pointing to suspected third-party writing. In another, a candidate's Economics marks were reduced from 103 to 69, even though a second evaluation had awarded 115 marks.

Another Fresh evaluation in 2022 also saw significant breaches

After the Haailand exercise was set aside, APPSC conducted another manual evaluation in Vijayawada in 2022, while the YSRCP government was still in power. T he SIT found further security and procedural lapses, including the printing of 48,442 duplicate OMR sheets carrying original barcode numbers without High Court approval.

A confidential list of 57 examiners was also leaked before evaluation , yet 47 of them were subsequently allowed to evaluate scripts. The Strong Room remained without CCTV coverage for the first 17 days. The process ultimately resulted in around ₹2.53 crore being spent across the different evaluation exercises. The controversy led to petitions before the High Court in 2022. On March 13, 2024, the high court held that the second and third valuations were illegal and irregular and ordered a fresh Group 1 Main examination.

The SIT has also specifically examined the role of the then APPSC Secretary P.S.R. Anjaneyulu, who served from October 2019 to March 2022 and approved the private contracts and shifting of scripts to Haailand. The SIT report notes that he is named as ‘Accused No. 1’ in Crime No. 56/2025 under Sections 409, 477-A, 420 and 120-B read with Section 34 of the IPC.

The SIT findings now form part of the proceedings before the High Court, bringing the conduct of the APPSC Group-I recruitment during the previous YSRCP government under detailed judicial scrutiny in order to provide justice to several students who suffered due to YSRCP's mega corruption.