The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Sunday, 27 July demanded the immediate resignation of Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh over alleged large-scale irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment process for government school teachers, involving approximately 3.5 lakh aspirants. The demand follows the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy, which YSRCP has invoked as a benchmark for political accountability.

What the DSC Controversy Is About

The DSC, which governs the recruitment of government teachers in Andhra Pradesh, mandates that candidates must hold a valid Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification — a condition explicitly stated in the recruitment notification itself. However, according to YSRCP, the selection process was conducted in violation of this norm, with candidates who did not possess TET qualifications being offered posts.

The anomaly has since come to light through a court ruling directing that all appointed teachers must be TET-qualified, except those serving as physical directors. As a result, teachers already recruited under the DSC are now reportedly appearing for the TET — a sequence that critics argue exposes a fundamental procedural failure in the process.

YSRCP's Key Allegations

YSRCP MLC P. Chandrasekhar Reddy, speaking to reporters in Nellore, alleged that irregularities ran through every stage of the DSC — from the initial notification to question paper setting, answer sheet valuation, and final recruitment. He called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the entire process and demanded Lokesh's immediate resignation.

'The Education Minister should resign immediately,' Chandrasekhar Reddy said, adding that the coalition government had 'bypassed the prescribed norms and given jobs to those who do not possess TET qualifications.'

Jagan Mohan Reddy Draws NDA Accountability Parallel

Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy raised the demand a day earlier, on Saturday night, in a post on X. Drawing a direct comparison with Pradhan's resignation, Jagan wrote: 'Taking moral responsibility for the NEET paper leak, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ji resigned, setting a benchmark for political accountability under the NDA Government. We now ask the same question in Andhra Pradesh. Will Education Minister Nara Lokesh of the NDA Government in Andhra Pradesh accept moral responsibility for the serious irregularities surrounding the DSC examination process (which involved around 3.5 lakh aspirants) and resign from his post? Or will Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of the NDA Government shield his son instead of upholding the very standards of accountability that the NDA claims to believe in?'

Broader Education Policy Critique

YSRCP MLC Chandrasekhar Reddy also alleged that the current coalition government has systematically dismantled education reforms introduced during the Jagan administration, including the scrapping of the Nadu Nedu infrastructure programme and the rollback of English-medium education in government schools. He further claimed that the Talliki Vandanam welfare scheme is not being implemented as intended, with over 20 lakh beneficiaries reportedly excluded due to budget constraints.

What Happens Next

The state government has not issued a formal response to the resignation demand as of the time of reporting. With the YSRCP renewing its call for a CBI probe and the DSC irregularities attracting judicial attention, the controversy is likely to intensify in the Andhra Pradesh assembly. Whether Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu addresses the accountability question — particularly given that the accused minister is his son — will be closely watched.