The 2018 Andhra Pradesh Group-I recruitment examination has come under fresh scrutiny after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) identified alleged irregularities at several stages of the evaluation process, including the involvement of unauthorised evaluators, questionable manual valuation practices and extensive alterations in answer sheets, reports PTI.
The examination was conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) to fill 169 Group-I posts. More than 1.14 lakh candidates had applied for the recruitment process.
The Andhra Pradesh government constituted the SIT in February 2026 following directions from the High Court to examine allegations of tampering and other irregularities in the recruitment process.
The investigation examined three evaluation exercises — the original digital valuation conducted in 2021, a manual valuation carried out at a private resort after a court order, and another manual valuation conducted in Vijayawada in 2022.
The SIT has raised concerns over the manner in which the digital evaluation was approved and conducted. It reportedly found that the evaluator panel did not receive the mandatory approval of the APPSC chairman. Of 158 evaluators approved by the secretary, only 72 actually evaluated answer scripts, while 25 individuals outside the approved panel also undertook evaluation work and were paid, the probe claimed.
The investigation also flagged the use of private email accounts and Google Drive links during the digital evaluation. In some cases, marks allegedly recorded by evaluators differed from those appearing in the final database. The SIT further alleged that second-evaluation marks were entered without an independent second examiner in several instances.
Manual Valuation Also Under Scanner
The High Court subsequently ordered manual evaluation after candidates challenged the digital valuation process. However, the SIT found that one such exercise took place at a private resort rather than a government facility. The probe alleged that the process largely involved re-entering previously recorded digital marks.
The answer scripts reportedly remained with a private agency for 84 days, raising concerns over the handling and security of confidential examination material.
A second manual valuation was conducted in Vijayawada in 2022. The SIT claimed that this exercise showed several discrepancies, including extensive overwriting, differences in ink and handwriting and other alterations.
Forensic material was examined at Central Forensic Science Laboratory facilities in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Shimla, Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata and Guwahati, PTI reported.
The SIT also raised concerns about surveillance arrangements. It reportedly found that the APPSC Confidential Sections and Strong Room did not have CCTV coverage during the original examination period. During the 2022 valuation, the Strong Room was brought under CCTV surveillance only 17 days after the evaluation began.
The investigation also pointed to inconsistencies between CCTV footage and official guard registers and alleged that several evaluators used mobile phones inside valuation camps.
Another concern was the sharp rise in answer scripts requiring third evaluation. While only 0.45 per cent of scripts required such evaluation in the previous Group-I recruitment, the figure reportedly reached 10.2 per cent in the 2018 process.
The SIT said the increase alone could not prove wrongdoing but, when considered alongside alleged overwriting, unauthorised corrections and signature mismatches, raised serious questions over the evaluation process.
A criminal case was registered in April 2025 under various provisions of the IPC, including Sections 409, 477-A, 420 and 120-B read with Section 34. Camsign Media director P Madhusudhan Rao was arrested in May 2025, while former APPSC secretary PSR Anjaneyulu was secured through a Prisoner Transit Warrant for investigation.
The SIT has examined 173 witnesses. Its investigation includes forensic findings, financial records, WhatsApp communications, electronic data, valuation records and video footage related to the evaluation exercises.
The probe is now expected to remain a key focus in determining whether the alleged lapses affected the integrity of the 2018 Group-I recruitment process.
(With PTI Inputs)