Punjab and Haryana High Court has allowed the Union education ministry to take a decision on IIM Rohtak director Dheeraj Sharma, who has been accused of misrepresenting his qualifications to secure the post, but prohibited the government from implementing it till the next hearing on January 28.

Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj on Tuesday heard the case and lifted its interim order barring the education ministry from taking the final call.

Sharma is facing the allegation of not possessing a first-class bachelor’s degree, a necessary qualification mentioned in the advertisement issued in 2015 by the HRD ministry for the director’s post.

In its affidavit, the education ministry stated that Sharma only has a second-class bachelor’s degree, a fact that was concealed by him in his application and CV. The search-cum-selection committee had asked Sharma to provide copies of his master’s and bachelor’s degree certificates but got no response. He was invited for interviews and appointed the director in 2017.