Live: AP Assembly Session: Lokesh Slams Opposition Over Legal Obstacles to Mega DSC Recruitment

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu assured the Andhra Pradesh Assembly that the Mega DSC recruitment exercise was entirely free of backdoor entries, favouritism and manipulation of any description. He was categorical that each and every selection under the process was determined solely by the merit of the candidate. He pointed to what he called the drive's most telling achievement: even those who did not secure a post have acknowledged the process was fair. The government, he declared, stands fully committed to keeping recruitment transparent and grounded in merit.

The decision of YSRCP legislators to boycott Assembly proceedings reflects extreme foolishness, cowardice, and irresponsibility, stated N. Tulasi Reddy, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee's State media chairman. He remarked that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy insists on attending only if his party gets recognized as the principal Opposition and he himself as Leader of the Opposition. Calling that condition illogical, Mr. Tulasi Reddy added that the MLAs supporting this stance are displaying ultimate servility. By parliamentary convention, obtaining opposition status requires 10% of the House's total strength. In a 175-member Assembly, that threshold is 18 members, whereas the YSRCP holds just 11. He highlighted that the Congress had encountered a similar mathematical hurdle in the past without walking away. During 1994 in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the Congress secured 26 out of 294 seats—three short of the mark—and P. Janardhan Reddy functioned as floor leader without the formal designation. The party experienced a comparable situation in the Lok Sabha in 2014 as well as 2019. He asked why a political party should contest elections in the first place if it has no intention of participating in the Legislative Assembly.

Speaking in the Assembly, Ms. Prashanthi Reddy stated that although the YSRCP approached the judiciary to halt the Mega DSC, the hiring process moved forward nonetheless. She informed the House that 16,347 posts were filled in just 148 days, contrasting it with the prior administration's tenure when job seekers waited endlessly for recruitment notifications. Addressing the sports quota issue raised by the Opposition in the Council on Monday, she affirmed that the hiring strictly adheres to government directives issued during the YSRCP's own rule, questioning how the party could claim ignorance of its own regulations. She noted that the agitations in Kovvur gathered minimal local backing and required bringing in people from an adjacent constituency. She challenged the YSRCP to demonstrate the courage to enter the Assembly and debate the DSC topic directly with Mr. Lokesh.

The Chief Minister informed the Assembly that 14 DSCs were conducted between 1995 and 2025, with 11 executed under his leadership. He mentioned that nearly 80% of teachers serving in current educational institutions were recruited through these drives, with none facing corruption charges. Criticizing the former administration, he noted that while it claimed to transform education by introducing English medium, it failed to hire any teachers between 2019 and 2024. Academic standards do not improve merely by altering the medium of instruction if the teaching personnel is not strengthened. He asserted that as long as he remains in office, anyone found engaging in wrongdoing will face rigorous disciplinary action.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that five teachers received suspension orders within a three-day span—in YSR Kadapa on day one, followed by Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts on day two. Their only action, he asserted, was submitting a representation to the Central government requesting an exemption from the TET for currently serving educators. Over one lakh veteran teachers are being required to sit for the examination after years of service, despite no such rule existing when they joined. "Is submitting a representation a crime? Does it warrant suspension?" He questioned why the Chief Minister, as a constituent of the NDA alliance, failed to pass a House resolution and lobby the Centre directly. "You failed to do what you were supposed to do." Regarding state employees, he remarked that in the government's third year, no interim relief or PRC has been provided, and five DAs remain unpaid. He estimated total outstanding liabilities—including arrears, GPF, APGLI, medical reimbursement, and leave encashment—between ₹35,000 crore and ₹40,000 crore.

Presenting his party's position against the Mega DSC, Mr. Bharath stated, "Numerous individuals have come forward claiming that roughly 15 to 20 lakh rupees were paid per post." Turning to the sports quota, he explained that a prior government order required all candidates under that reservation to sit for the DSC entrance test. However, for the 2025 recruitment, a new notification was issued allowing those applicants to be appointed without taking the test. "Once the selection was completed, they issued yet another order mandating that this exam must be reconducted," he noted. "So if they lacked confidence in the initial order they brought out, why issue another one revoking it?" The party demands Mr. Lokesh's resignation along with a CBI probe. "The individual accountable for these allegations, Mr. Nara Lokesh, who leads the education ministry, must step down and a CBI inquiry should be ordered," he insisted, ensuring a level playing field for all exam candidates.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana presented the financial breakdown for Amaravati in the Assembly on Monday, responding to queries from MLAs Tenali Sravan Kumar and Buchaiah Chowdary regarding the restart of capital development, funding, and returnable plots for land givers. He stated that among 119 major infrastructure projects initiated, 97 are currently underway while four have been completed. The administration has secured ₹41,187.70 crore for the capital through World Bank, HUDCO, NABARD, NABFID, and the Andhra Pradesh Power Finance Corporation. Regarding land pooling, he shared that 30,173 farmers have been allocated 71,299 returnable plots. For village-level infrastructure, ₹904 crore is earmarked for roads, underground sewerage, and potable water across the 29 capital villages, with tenders scheduled for finalization on August 27. The capital represents more than concrete structures, Mr. Narayana remarked, touching upon the welfare of residents and farmers who surrendered their land.

The Chief Minister turned the DSC debate back onto the Opposition in the Assembly, asserting that youth for whom protests are allegedly being staged were not present on the streets. Unemployed youth did not show up, he stated, noting that daily-wage workers were brought from Odisha to gather crowds. This marks the government's strongest charge during two weeks of demonstrations and detentions across the state, challenging the authenticity of the protests. Regarding the recruitment process itself, Mr. Naidu stated that everything is fully transparent. The answer keys, merit lists, and final selections are entirely public, allowing every appointment to be verified and audited. He urged anyone holding proof of irregularities to present it inside the House. Reiterating his challenge, he stated that the Assembly serves as a sacred platform where claims can be evaluated based on evidence, whereas the Opposition chose street agitation instead. He characterized this approach as hit-and-run politics—making statements outside while dodging debates inside. He further warned that efforts to undermine the alliance government's credibility would fail, and those leveling charges would face exposure as soon as they entered the House with documentation.

The Business Advisory Committee met under the chairmanship of Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu to decide the duration and business agenda for the Monsoon session. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu attended the deliberations. Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Payyavula Keshav, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, Chief Whip G.V. Anjaneyulu, and the leader of the BJP Legislature Party were among those present.

The government will execute a DSC every year, Mr. Lokesh informed the Assembly, calling it a firm pledge to youth from which it will not back down. He emphasized that there would be no reconsideration on this policy. He noted that 3,000 teaching posts were filled via the DSC this year under the Mega Job Calendar, bringing total recruitments across Group-1, Group-2, and DSC to approximately 10,060. The TET examinations have also been completed. Responding to criticism, he stated that recruitment never ground to a halt and continues according to schedule. All selected educators will be integrated into the system prior to Ugadi, he added. They will undergo training for the upcoming academic year, with the administration overseeing their school postings.

Addressing the House, Minister Atchannaidu asserted that a political outfit that spent five years jeopardizing the future of young individuals has no business posing as a champion for jobless youth. He added that it was deeply embarrassing for the opposition to lecture others on morality while making baseless claims of malpractices in the DSC hiring process.

Targeting the opposition by referencing its election symbol, Mr. Atchannaidu dubbed the YSRCP the 'axe party' and stated that after failing to recruit even a single teacher during its entire five-year tenure despite pre-election pledges of a Mega DSC, it has lost any right to object to the 2025 recruitment drive.

Minister Nara Lokesh informed the House that the hiring procedure stands completed, with candidate teachers having received training and actively working in schools. He questioned why protest movements are being launched a full year after the process ended, directly challenging YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy to an open debate on the matter inside or outside the Assembly. Clarifying the mechanics of the drive, he emphasized that the administration implemented both vertical and horizontal reservation policies with complete transparency.

Highlighting his party's educational track record, Mr. Lokesh noted that the TDP consistently championed educational reforms, having conducted 13 DSC drives between 1994 and 2019 to employ 1.8 lakh teachers. He added that the current ruling alliance comprising TDP, BJP, and Jana Sena has continued this tradition by conducting multiple employment tests.

Affirming the government's readiness to address all doubts regarding the Mega DSC within the Assembly, Mr. Lokesh urged Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss the topic on the floor of the House instead of restricting his statements to media briefings. He also took a swipe at a past comment by the former Chief Minister, pointing out that Jagan had once described himself as a cockroach.

Explaining the robustness of the recruitment notification, Mr. Lokesh revealed that officials, including former School Education Commissioner Vijayarama Raju (currently CRDA Commissioner), conducted a thorough analysis of past stays issued by courts. An AI platform was utilized to process these findings and formulate a flaw-free template. He noted that strict warnings were issued to officials against legal loopholes. The coalition administration successfully completed the hiring drive, distributed appointment letters, conducted teacher training, and placed them in institutions—a feat he hailed as a victory for public governance.