The Ministry of Education has removed Saroj Sharma from her position as chairperson of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) following her involvement in a police case concerning allegations of caste discrimination that led to the suicide of her driver, Ram Kumar.

The Delhi Police had booked Sharma after Kumar, in a letter to the education ministry, accused her of harassment and caste discrimination prior to taking his own life, new agency PTI reported.

In an official order, the ministry announced that Sharma has been repatriated to her parent department, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

According to PTI, Ram Kumar, an NIOS staff driver, tragically ended his life on the night of September 27-28, leaving behind a note accusing Sharma of subjecting him to severe mental distress and using casteist slurs against him. His death and the allegations that followed have led to a police investigation.

The ministry’s order stated, “Consequent upon the approval of Appointments Committee of Cabinet ... dated 21st October, 2024 for premature repatriation of Prof. Saroj Sharma from the post of Chairperson NIOS to her parent department Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, she is hereby relieved with effect from 23.10.2024."

The development comes shortly after the Gujarat government revoked Sharma’s appointment as vice-chancellor of the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE). Though she had been appointed to the role on September 5, Sharma had not yet assumed the position.

In the interim, the ACC has assigned Pankaj Arora, the current chairperson of the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), to take over as the acting head of NIOS for the next six months.