APPSC Group-I exam evaluation: SIT flags serious procedural lapses

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing irregularities in the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) Group-I examination has found multiple lapses in the evaluation process, including violations of the Commission's own rules. The SIT, headed by DGP (CID) Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, was constituted through a government order dated February 14, 2026, and submitted its report on August 10, 2026.

The case pertains to notification No.27/2018 issued on December 31, 2018. The preliminary examination was conducted on May 26, 2019, and the Main written examination in December 2020. Results of the Main examination were declared on April 28, 2021, following the adoption of digital evaluation, after which 326 candidates were shortlisted for interviews.

The SIT found that the digital evaluation process was implemented without strict adherence to the Commission's rules and procedures. Both the decision to adopt digital evaluation and the approval of the evaluator panel lacked the Chairman's approval, as required by the APPSC Office Manual.

The investigation established significant procedural deviations at nearly every stage of the digital evaluation. The evaluator panel was neither sourced nor vetted in the manner prescribed. Persons outside the approved panel evaluated answer scripts and were paid for their work. The process was routed through private, unofficial communication channels without tamper-proof controls, raising concerns about the integrity of the process.

Discrepancies were found between the marks recorded by evaluators and those that ultimately appeared in the result database. In several cases, the mandatory second evaluation was done by a single freelancer rather than an independent second examiner, which was a clear deviation from established norms.

The digital evaluation was challenged before the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which stayed the interviews and subsequently directed the APPSC to undertake manual evaluation of the answer scripts. The High Court later set aside the digital evaluation based on these deficiencies and ordered a fresh manual evaluation.

The SIT also noted that confidential details relating to examiners were leaked before the commencement of the evaluation process. This constituted a serious breach of confidentiality, exposing the evaluation process to external approaches and compromising the integrity expected in a public recruitment examination.

Further, the investigation indicated that the Group-I Mains answer scripts were evaluated on three occasions, which appeared to be contrary to Rule 3(ix) of the APPSC Rules. Significant procedural changes were also introduced during the recruitment process, including the implementation of the digital evaluation system, conduct of manual evaluation at a private venue, reprinting of 48,442 duplicate barcode OMR valuation slips and fresh control bundle slips using original candidate barcode data, and conduct of a second manual evaluation at another location.

The SIT report highlights systemic weaknesses in the APPSC's evaluation process and raises serious questions about the fairness and transparency of the recruitment exercise. The findings are expected to be examined by the state government and the Commission to ensure accountability and prevent such lapses in future examinations.