New Delhi: The education ministry is probing the response of Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Rohtak director Dheeraj Sharma to a show-cause notice sent by the ministry in March, and possible legal action against him for allegedly hiding his educational qualifications from the ministry. Searching too. , ThePrint has learned.
from the ministry entrance In the Punjab and Haryana High Court in March, Sharma was found not fit to hold the post of director. According to the government, Sharma has passed her graduation with second division, while the first class result is a criterion for the post of IIM director.
Despite his perceived inadequate educational qualifications, Sharma managed to complete a five-year term in the post this February allegedly hiding Their educational documents from Govt. Director of IIM-Rohtak also received reappointed In March situation.
A petition filed by a Right to Information activist and a Delhi-based lawyer against his selection in the Punjab and Haryana High Court has finally put his appointment in doubt. Soon after his reappointment as director, the government sent him a show-cause notice on March 28, asking him “why action should not be initiated against him?” And why did he “hid” his educational qualifications from the government.
Sources close to the development told ThePrint that the director has submitted a detailed response in his defence, and the ministry is currently going through the feedback to decide on the future course of action, and also seek legal advice on the matter. Used to be.
“We suspect a lot of financial fraud in Sharma’s previous tenure, where he remained as director despite not being eligible for the post. So we had sent him a show cause notice asking why action should not be taken against him. His reply to the notice finally came to us earlier this week. Now we are examining the reply, which is quite lengthy, and taking legal advice (exploring legal options to take action against them),” said a ministry official.
ThePrint reached out to Sharma and his lawyer Vivek Singla over calls and text messages, but did not receive a response till the time of publication of this report. The article will be updated once their response is received.
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Keeping a close eye on the second term
In an order on April 22 this year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed Sharma to file its reply to the ministry’s notice within a week and the ministry not to take any action against the director till the next court hearing. Said too. july.
“Till the next date of hearing, the parties are directed to preserve the cause of action. Therefore, it is pertinent to direct that the petitioner shall respond to the show cause notice by filing his reply within one week from today, however, till the next date of hearing, further proceedings arising out of the show cause notice shall remain suspended. ,” the order of the court had read.
The ministry is now examining Sharma’s reply.
Sources also said that the ministry is closely monitoring Sharma’s second term as director, including overseeing the functioning of his Board of Governors (BoG). After admitting in court that Sharma’s appointment did not fulfill the qualifications required for an IIM director, the ministry objected to his second term as director, but the objections were ignored by the BOG and he was given a second term. . The ministry is now keeping a close watch on the BoG.
(Edited by Polomi Banerjee)
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