Sexual Harassment Suspect RK Pachauri Made Executive VC of TERI

RK Pachauri made the first executive vice chairman of TERI after being ousted as the Director General.

Former TERI chief RK Pachauri. (Photo: Reuters)

Notwithstanding allegations of sexual harassment by a former colleague, The Energy Research Institute’s former chief, RK Pachauri, was appointed Executive Vice Chairman of the organisation on Monday.

Head of the government’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ajay Mathur, took over as the Director General. Mathur was also on the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

Dr Ajay Mathur has joined as Director General of TERI. The Governing Council of TERI has appointed Dr RK Pachauri as the Executive Vice Chairman with immediate effect. 

<b>TERI Official</b>

Pachauri has headed TERI, which works in the field of sustainable development, energy and climate change, for the past 35 years. The post of Executive Vice Chairman has been recently created and Pachauri will be the first to hold it.

In February last year, a junior colleague had accused him of sexual harassment, following which he had to proceed on leave, but joined work in July with a court quashing the internal committee report that found him guilty of misconduct.

Also read: Delhi HC Sends Notice to RK Pachauri, He Calls it Delaying Tactics

He was removed as chairman of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, an international body of scientists that makes periodic assessment of climate change science.

Also read: Twist in TERI Case, Camp Pachauri Pushes for Hush-Hush Settlement

The complainant, who recently wrote to the Prime Minister, has said that he should have been suspended.

This was expected, but now that it’s coming in officially, it gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. Absolutely disgusting. I spoke up – he was promoted and I had to resign. Pachauri should have been suspended pending the ICC inquiry and asked to find a new job when the ICC gave their verdict. I stand by every word that I wrote in the resignation. It’s all coming out to be true. My colleagues were allegedly pressurised to get me to have the case settled out of court and at the cost of my colleague’s resignation. I feel relieved having quit TERI – it took a major toll on my health being associated with that organisation.

<b>Victim and Former TERI Employee</b>

(With inputs from PTI)