Education Ministry Removes Saroj Sharma as NIOS Chairperson Amid Driver’s Suicide Investigation
The Ministry of Education has dismissed Saroj Sharma from her role as Chairperson of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) as police investigate allegations linked to the suicide of her staff driver. The driver, Ram Kumar, reportedly left a note implicating Sharma, alleging that she had subjected him to mental distress, harassment, and caste-based discrimination.
According to an official order, Sharma has been sent back to her previous position at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Sharma has not yet issued any statement regarding her removal.
The incident unfolded when Kumar, an NIOS employee, took his life during the night of September 27–28. In his note, Kumar accused Sharma of verbal abuse and harassment, pointing specifically to caste-related slurs.
Following approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on October 21, 2024, Sharma was prematurely repatriated to her parent department, effective October 23, 2024. Meanwhile, Pankaj Arora, the current head of the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), has been appointed to oversee the position for the next six months.
This development also follows Sharma's cancelled appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE) in Gujarat. Although she was appointed on September 5, Sharma had yet to assume the role when the Gujarat government decided to withdraw her appointment earlier this month.
