YSRCP protests across Andhra Pradesh seeking Lokesh resignation over DSC-2025

YSRCP leaders and workers staged protests across Andhra Pradesh demanding Education Minister Nara Lokesh’s resignation and a CBI probe into alleged DSC-2025 irregularities. The TDP rejected the allegations, defended the recruitment process and accused the opposition of politicising the issue

Amaravati: YSRCP workers and leaders on Tuesday staged protests across Andhra Pradesh, demanding the resignation of state Education Minister Nara Lokesh and a CBI inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the DSC-2025 teacher recruitment process.

However, the ruling TDP strongly condemned the YSRCP protests, alleging that the opposition party was attempting to politicise the ‘Mega DSC’ recruitment process despite the Andhra Pradesh High Court upholding the recruitment drive.

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The protests, organised by the opposition party’s youth and student wings, were held at district and constituency headquarters across the state.

According to YSRCP, the recruitment exercise conducted under the banner of “Mega DSC” was marred by irregularities.

“The Mega DSC recruitment was heavily publicised, but it was marred by irregularities. The Education Minister should accept moral responsibility and resign. The Centre should order a CBI inquiry into the recruitment process,” the party said in a press release. It alleged that student enrolment in government schools has declined by more than 5.5 lakh over the past two years and dismissed the government’s claim that 1.1 lakh students had migrated from private to public schools as “misleading”.

It further claimed that essential textbooks are yet to reach several schools despite the academic year commencing over a month ago and that the Vidya Kanuka programme has not been implemented this year.

The YSRCP also alleged that over 22.6 lakh beneficiaries have been excluded from the Talliki Vandanam’, which offers Rs 15,000 per annum per school-going child. They also sought the implementation of full fee reimbursement, restoration of the Vasathi Deevena scheme and payment of the promised Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment allowance to eligible youth.

The YSRCP leaders said the protests were aimed at safeguarding public education, government schools and the interests of students while urging the government to address the concerns raised by the opposition.

Meanwhile, YSRCP leader RK Roja accused the TDP-led government of “ignoring” the repeated demands for a CBI probe despite protests by unemployed DSC aspirants.

Roja contrasted the current dispensation with the previous YSRCP government, which recruited 1.3 lakh people into permanent government jobs transparently and on merit. She alleged that the present government failed to even complete 16,000 appointments fairly.

“Fresh instances of irregularities are emerging every day, including in the sports quota, and several affected candidates have already approached the courts,” Roja alleged.

She said YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had repeatedly questioned the government over the alleged irregularities during the past two months, but Lokesh had “failed” to respond.

Referring to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET controversy, Roja said Lokesh should also accept moral responsibility, resign and face a CBI probe into DSC-2025.

Echoing her concerns, former minister K Govardhan Reddy alleged the much-publicised “Mega DSC” had turned into “Daga DSC”, accusing the government of “cheating” unemployed youth through multiple government orders and irregularities in recruitment.

He further alleged that while moral responsibility had been accepted at the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government had failed to answer questions raised over the alleged DSC-2025 recruitment irregularities.

TDP spokesperson N Vijay dismissed the protests by the YSRCP, labelling them as “factually misleading” and a “politically desperate act”.

Defending the recruitment process, he said, “The Mega DSC recruitment process was transparent and was upheld by the Andhra Pradesh High Court despite several complaints filed before and after the recruitment drive.” He said any demand for resignation should be based on proven misconduct, material evidence, adverse judicial observations or court judgments relating to the recruitment process.

The TDP leader alleged that the YSRCP was attempting to incite candidates who failed to secure jobs and emotionally exploit them for “political gains”.

Vijay claimed that the DSC examination was conducted without any paper leak, with complete transparency, strict adherence to national protocols and robust security measures for over 3.5 lakh aspirants. He alleged that the opposition was attempting to manufacture a controversy despite the absence of evidence of widespread irregularities.

He pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh High Court found no merit in multiple petitions alleging malpractice, dismissed the complaints and allowed the recruitment process to proceed.

Continuing the demand for Lokesh’s resignation despite the court’s verdict reflects YSRCP’s disregard for the judiciary, Vijay said.

The TDP leader further alleged that while the previous government failed to fill even a single teaching post during its five-year tenure, the NDA government is providing jobs to over 3.5 lakh aspirants through a transparent and lawful recruitment process.