RK Pachauri announces voluntary exit from TERI, wants to pursue opportunities abroad

RK Pachauri, accused of sexual harassment by his former colleagues, announced his voluntary exit from Governing Council of TERI a day after reports of the governing council removing him floated.

While spokesperson of The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) did not confirm the content of the reports of removing Pachauri, he confirmed that Governing Council on April 18, 2016 and subsequently several decisions were taken in the meeting. The minutes of the meeting are currently awaiting approval.

Pachauri in a statement said that his term as a member of Governing Council has expired on March 31 this year and now it was time for him to end his association with TERI.

"I feel it is for me to move away and get engaged in other interests which I have harboured over the past few years for activities at the global level," Pachauri said.

The report had quoted the spokesperson as saying: "Dr Pachauri's term as a Member of the Governing Council of TERI ended on March 31, 2016. As the post of Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) is co-terminus with this membership, his role as EVC also ended along with his membership of the Council."

Pachauri also appreciated his colleagues and said that TERI staff which is its greatest treasure will take the institute to greater heights under the new Director. General

"I have had the good fortune of leading TERI for three decades and a half and have received the priceless contribution from thousands of colleagues over the years in building up this Institute to level of an outstanding organisation.

"I began with TERI as the articulation of my dream and humanity's call for a major intellectual resource, which has now grown to a size and spread straddling the whole world, with a staff strength of around 1200 professionals and world class infrastructure and expertise," he said.

Pachauri was removed from the post of Director General last year after an FIR was filed against him following a complaint of sexual harassment made by a junior woman colleague. The Delhi Police had filed a charge-sheet him in the case early this year.

Despite the controversy, the green body's Governing Council created a fresh post of Executive Vice Chairman for Pachauri, triggering an outrage, following which he was asked to proceed on leave.

Earlier this year, two more former employees of TERI, one of them a foreign national, had also accused him of sexual harassment.

Former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla was recently appointed Chairman of TERI's Governing Council.