The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday, 4 August took up a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the Mega DSC-2025 teacher recruitment process. The court, after hearing initial submissions, posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

Key Allegations Before the Court

Senior Advocate and former Andhra Pradesh Advocate General S. Sriram Subrahmanyam, appearing for the petitioner, urged the High Court to order a CBI investigation into the entire recruitment process. He argued that the alleged irregularities were not isolated incidents but pointed to a systemic failure affecting the fairness and integrity of the recruitment.

Subrahmanyam submitted that the government made significant changes to the sports quota policy just before issuing the Mega DSC-2025 notification — raising the sports quota reservation from 2 per cent to 3 per cent and removing the requirement of qualifying in the entrance examination. According to the counsel, these changes benefited a predetermined group of candidates and were introduced without transparency.

Questionable Sports Certificates and Pattern of Irregularities

The counsel placed sample certificates before the court, contending that several candidates allegedly received appointments based on sports certificates that did not meet prescribed eligibility rules. He argued that some candidates had only participated in local competitions rather than recognised state or national-level events, and that these examples demonstrated a pattern of irregularities rather than isolated mistakes.

Subrahmanyam also pointed out that the government subsequently withdrew the Government Orders relating to the sports quota following public criticism — a move he argued raised serious questions about the policy changes and justified an independent investigation.

RTI-Based Evidence and Incomplete Merit List

The counsel informed the court that much of the material relied upon had been obtained through Right to Information (RTI) applications and other public sources. He explained that only representative examples had been filed because the government had not published the complete merit list, making a comprehensive challenge difficult for affected candidates.

He further contended that many affected candidates had not approached the court due to fear of legal action and intimidation, and that government communications had reportedly discouraged the publication of allegations relating to the recruitment process. He undertook to place supporting material before the court at the next hearing.

Public Interest Framing and Next Steps

Addressing questions about the petitioner's political affiliation, Subrahmanyam submitted that the PIL was filed in the larger public interest, as the issue affected thousands of teacher aspirants across Andhra Pradesh. He argued that while individual writ petitions could address personal grievances, only a PIL could seek an investigation into systemic issues affecting the recruitment process.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has scheduled the next hearing after three weeks, when the petitioner is expected to place additional supporting material on record. The outcome could have significant implications for the Mega DSC-2025 recruitment process and the candidates awaiting appointment.