Amid reports that the governing council of Teri refused to renew membership of its controversial former director-general R.K.
Amid reports that the governing council of Teri refused to renew membership of its controversial former director-general R.K. Pachauri despite his employment contract ending in 2017, the latter in a statement issued on Thursday said that “he is stepping away as his term (as a governing council member) ended on March 31, 2016.” There was no official word from Teri on the matter.
With his discontinuation as a member he would cease to be the executive vice-chairman, a post that was created for him by the council in February this year. The move drew huge flak from Teri university alumni who had refused to receive their degrees from him.
Mr Pachauri was removed as DG, Teri, in July 2015, four months after one of his former colleagues accused him of sexual harassment, which was followed by two more similar complaints against him early this year, including one by a foreign national. A 1,400-page chargesheet has already been filed by the Delhi police against the former green body chief on the basis of statements of former colleagues and exchange of text messages and e-mails between him and the complainant. Mr Pachauri has been denying allegations on the basis that his devices were hacked.
In February this year, Ajay Mathur was made the DG of Teri while former finance secretary Ashok Chawla was appointed as the chairman of the council.
In his statement Mr Pachauri said Thursday: “I am stepping away from Teri’s governing council. My term as a member of the governing council ended on March 31, 2016, and I felt that it was time 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. 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.”
