Andhra Pradesh Mega DSC faces CID probe and High Court scrutiny over fake sports certificates

A major recruitment scandal has surfaced in Andhra Pradesh following allegations of widespread fraud in the Mega DSC teacher recruitment conducted under the sports quota. Out of 382 candidates selected for government teaching positions under this reserved category, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Andhra Pradesh High Court has exposed at least 29 specific cases involving contradictory, unverified, or fraudulent credentials. The petitions highlight severe irregularities, including fabricated tournament dates, certificates issued by unrecognized associations, and candidates claiming medals and achievements that actually belonged to other athletes.
The discrepancies are heavily concentrated in specific disciplines, most notably judo, where questions have been raised regarding 29 of the 39 candidates selected under the quota. Dozens of questionable certificates were also flagged across ball badminton and softball. State sports bodies, including the Olympic Association, had previously raised formal objections with the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) and the Chief Minister’s Office regarding fake certification rings, but the warnings went largely unheeded during initial certificate scrutiny. The controversy has now escalated to criminal proceedings, with the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) registering a First Information Report (FIR) to probe a suspected criminal conspiracy between racketeers, certifying bodies, and applicants.
The case has placed intense scrutiny on the School Education Department and SAAP over how basic verification mechanisms failed to catch obvious contradictions before job offers were finalized. While hundreds of candidates who secured jobs under the quota are legitimate athletes, genuine sportspersons who were edged out by fraudulent applicants are demanding an exhaustive, impartial inquiry. As the High Court reviews the matter and the CID investigates the paper trail, the state government faces mounting pressure to determine whether all 382 sports quota appointments will be subjected to an independent forensic audit.