# Naidu alleges plumbers evaluated Group-1 exams, Jagan demands CBI probe 2026-08-20T00:38:48+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has alleged massive irregularities in the APPSC Group-1 examinations held under the previous YSRCP government, claiming that answer scripts were evaluated by plumbers, electricians, security guards and drivers. Speaking in the Assembly on 19 August 2026, he cited Central Forensic Science Laboratory findings showing alterations in 718 of 734 answer scripts, or 97.82% of those examined. He said 25 evaluators were completely unauthorised in the first digital round, and all 66 evaluators in a subsequent round were also unauthorised. Former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has challenged Naidu to order a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities, and simultaneously into the 2025 teachers' recruitment by district selection committees. Jagan said the entire Group-1 process was transparent, conducted under CCTV surveillance with bar-coding, and gave no scope for evaluators to know candidates. He accused Naidu of jeopardising the future of 163 candidates who were selected. The High Court has already constituted a three-member committee headed by a retired judge to inquire into the matter. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Telangana Today and India Today both carry Naidu's allegations as the lead, plumbers, electricians, and CFSL findings, framing the YSRCP era as a breakdown of institutional integrity. Neither outlet scrutinises Naidu's evidence or questions whether his claims are selective or politically timed. Hindustan Times shifts the frame entirely: it leads with Jagan's counter-challenge, a CBI probe, and gives equal space to Jagan's claim that the process was transparent, done under CCTV and by bar code. Naidu's vivid accusation of unauthorised evaluators is reported but placed second, not first. The measured read: both sides are playing politics. Naidu's forensic details are specific and testable, Jagan's CCTV-and-bar-code defence is also specific and testable. The real news is not the rhetoric but the High Court committee already constituted, its findings will settle which version holds. Watch for that committee's report, not the Assembly speeches. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 government-critical, 1 sensationalist - telanganatoday.com (sensationalist) Leads with Naidu's allegations of plumbers and electricians evaluating papers, foregrounding CFSL findings without critical scrutiny or Jagan's defence until paragraphs later - indiatoday.in (pro government) Leads with Naidu's forensic claims and names non-qualified evaluators, Jagan's challenge is absent, framing YSRCP-era as presumptively fraudulent - hindustantimes.com (government critical) Leads with Jagan's challenge for a CBI probe, placing his transparency defence (CCTV, bar code) ahead of Naidu's allegations This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-08-21T06:47:09+00:00. Tags: Andhra Pradesh, APPSC, CFSL, Chandrababu Naidu, YSRCP Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/naidu-alleges-appsc-group-1-answer-scripts-evaluated-by-plumbers-and-drivers/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/naidu-alleges-appsc-group-1-answer-scripts-evaluated-by-plumbers-and-drivers/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/