Govt Admits to Appointing IIM Rohtak Director Without Required Qualifications

The government admitted this after he completed his five year-term last month and was appointed for a second term.

After denying at first, the Union government has admitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it had appointed the director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak, despite him not having the necessary qualification, reported The Indian Express.

The government only admitted this after he completed his five year-term last month and was appointed for a second term.

A first-class Bachelor’s degree was a prerequisite while Dheeraj Sharma was appointed despite securing a second division in his undergraduate course. On 14 March, Monday, the Ministry of Education (MoE) filed an affidavit admitting to this.

According to the IIM Rohak website, Sharma is also a professor at IIM Ahmedabad and has taught or presented research in a number of institutes in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Government First Denied, Then Accepted

The newspaper had earlier reported that three letters had been sent to Dheeraj Sharma asking for his undergraduate degree but he did not submit it.

The appointment had been challenged in the Punjab & Haryana High Court. The petitioner said that the director had misrepresented his educational qualifications.

Last year, the Centre had requested the high court to dismiss the plea saying that the petitioners do not have locus standi as those who had applied for the director’s job had not challenged the appointment.

Now, the government finally admitted to the irregularity. It stated in the affidavit filed on Monday, “It may be seen that Dr Dheeraj Sharma has secured second division in the Bachelor’s degree, as against requirement of first class degree as per the advertisement, and as such does not fulfil the eligibility criteria as laid down in the advertisement for the post of Director, IIM Rohtak.”

How Are IIM Directors Appointed?

Previously, an IIM director would be appointed with approval of an Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the prime minister. The ACC had cleared his first term as the IIM Rohtak director on 10 February 2017.

During his second term, however, he was appointed by the Board of Governors (BoG) in February this year, under the IIM Act.

This new law came into effect in 2018 and gave all 20 business schools sweeping powers that included appointment of directors, chairpersons, and board members.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)