RK Pachauri, who was accused of sexual harassment by his former colleagues, has announced his voluntary exit from Governing Council of TERI. The Energy and Resources Institute's (TERI) did not confirm the content of the reports on the removing of Pachauri, but confirmed that the Governing Council on April 18, 2016 and subsequently has taken several decisions in the meeting.

"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.

"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 the 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, in a statement said that "My term as a member of the governing council ended on March 31 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. The staff of Teri are its greatest treasure, which under the new director-general will take the institute to much greater heights in the years ahead."

"His contract with the organisation (TERI) was to end in July next year but the council has decided to end it and honour it by paying the remainder of the tenure to him," a governing council member said on condition of anonymity.

On February 12, former Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla was appointed Chairman of the Council. Other members of the Council are HDFC Chairman Deepak S. Parekh, HSBC India’s former Chairman Naina Lal Kidwai, former Secretary to Government Shailesh Nayak, DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Private Limited Chairman Hemendra Kothari and Dr. Ajay Mathur, who was appointed DG in place of Dr. Pachauri in July last year. Two foreign nationals are also members, former Member of the Upper House of the Japanese Diet Wakako Hironaka and Henrik O Madsen.

By Premji