Forty-eight dedicated officers, currently serving within the Andhra Pradesh government, are holding their breath for a favorable court verdict. Their careers, stemming from the 2018 Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Group-I recruitment, have been clouded by controversy, including serious allegations of irregularities during the answer script evaluation and subsequent legal challenges.
The 2018 APPSC Group-I recruitment drive has been a source of ongoing dispute. Accusations of flawed evaluation practices led to intense legal battles, which ultimately resulted in the annulment of the Mains examination following a court order.
The initial notification for this recruitment was issued in 2018, followed by the Prelims in 2019 and the Mains in December 2020. Results were first declared in April 2021. However, these results quickly became contentious due to reported irregularities, prompting unsuccessful candidates to seek justice from the High Court.
On October 1, 2021, the High Court delivered a significant verdict. It highlighted that the APPSC had failed to disclose its use of digital evaluation in the official notification. Furthermore, the court identified a “procedural error,” leading it to set aside the initial results. The APPSC was then directed to conduct a manual evaluation of the answer sheets and publish new results within three months.
Following this court directive, the APPSC proceeded with a traditional manual evaluation of the answer sheets. This process, however, sparked a fresh wave of controversy. A striking 62% of the candidates who had previously appeared on the digital evaluation selection list did not make it onto the manual evaluation list, igniting widespread protest among those excluded. Conversely, only 38% of candidates successfully secured their places on both lists, and these individuals have since joined the state service.
The court’s hearings concluded recently on September 19, 2025, and the judgment is now keenly awaited. The 48 officers whose names appeared on both the digital and manual evaluation selection lists are particularly apprehensive, concerned about the potential adverse effects of the upcoming verdict on their professional lives.
One official voiced their anxiety, stating, “Many of us left stable positions in both Central and other State services to join the Andhra Pradesh administration through the Group-I service. Any unfavorable outcome from the court’s decision would severely jeopardize our professional careers.” They expressed a strong hope that their undeniable merit would be fully acknowledged and considered in the final ruling.