Mega DSC recruitment transparent, merit-based: Palla Srinivasa Rao
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) State president and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao on Thursday defended the Mega DSC teacher recruitment process, rejecting allegations made by former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and describing it as transparent, merit-based, and legally compliant.
He said the remarks were intended to cast doubt on a completed recruitment process that had already led to the appointment of 16,347 teachers across Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that during the 2019–24 tenure of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party government, announcements on large-scale teacher recruitment and the filling of government vacancies did not translate into timely action, despite assurances such as a job calendar.
“The period was marked by delays and uncertainty for unemployed youth,” he said, adding that the present coalition government had acted swiftly after assuming office.
He said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu prioritised the Mega DSC notification, while Human Resources Development and IT Minister Nara Lokesh oversaw the recruitment process.
According to him, the exercise was completed in 148 days from notification to appointment and was conducted in a time-bound and transparent manner.
Defending the examination process, he said the tests were conducted on the TCS iON platform with multi-layer security and encryption safeguards. More than 42,000 questions were prepared by SCERT experts, and randomisation technology was used to ensure exam integrity, he added.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the process had withstood judicial scrutiny, with courts allowing the recruitment to proceed after examining the procedures and safeguards.
He said reservation policies, including SC categorisation and horizontal reservations for women, persons with disabilities, sportspersons, and ex-servicemen, were implemented strictly in accordance with norms. A 3% quota for sportspersons resulted in 431 appointments, he added.
Terming criticism of the recruitment unfair to selected candidates, he said 16,347 teachers were already serving across the State and that their appointments reflected merit and sustained effort.
He said the Mega DSC represented a shift from political promises to administrative delivery, adding that governance would ultimately be judged by employment outcomes rather than political rhetoric.