48 hours after being reinstated, Pachauri sacked as TERI chief

Controversial TERI chief R K Pachauri, who is facing sexual harassment charges, was on Thursday removed as the Director General of the green body.

Ajay Mathur, currently director general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has been appointed as the new DG in a decision taken at the governing gouncil meeting of TERI.

“The governing council of TERI at its meeting held in Bangalore took a decision to appoint Ajay Mathur as the Director General of TERI.

“Mathur will take up his new responsibilities as soon as he is in a position to do so, subsequent to being relieved from his current responsibilities by the government of India after a brief period of transition,” an official TERI release said.

On February 13 this year, an FIR was registered against 74-year old Pachauri faces charges of sexual harassment levelled by a senior TERI employee. A Delhi court had granted anticipatory bail to Pachauri.

Earlier, on February 26, the court had restrained Pachauri from entering TERI office premises and contacting its officials. It had asked him not to leave the country and also granted him interim protection from arrest till March 27.

Pachauri was on Friday allowed by a Delhi court to enter his office premises except the head office and a branch in Gurgaon.

The TERI statement said that the GC also considered the question of any action that could be taken on the report of TERI’s Internal Complaints Committee on the issue of alleged sexual harassment.

“Action on this report has been stayed by the Court, which ruled ‘the operation of the report of the Internal Complaints Committee shall remain stayed’.

“This judgment of May 29, 2015 also stated ‘the principles of natural justice have not been followed at all by the said committee, contrary to rules.’ The GC of TERI respects all court proceedings and abides by its direction,” the statement said.

The GC observed that the issue of succession to the current leadership of TERI was first discussed in detail by the GC meeting held in Mumbai in September, 2014.

Subsequently, a well-known search firm was entrusted with the task of carrying out a search of candidates for the position, which they performed pro bono and provided the GC with a slate of candidates short listed by them.

A further search was carried out involving all the members of the GC, who interacted individually with several eligible candidates and evaluated senior staff currently working at TERI as well as those who had extensive experience of working in this organisation.

“The decision to appoint Ajay Mathur is, therefore, the culmination of an extensive search process and an intensive evaluation of candidates from across the globe,” the statement said.

The statement said that Pachauri has led and built TERI over the last 34 years from a concept to a major, financially autonomous, professionally dynamic organisation on the global stage.

“All efforts will be made to aid and assist Ajay Mathur in a smooth and expeditious transition as the latter assumes responsibility as TERI’s new chief executive.

“The GC is certain that the 1200 persons working for TERI in different parts of the world would welcome this development and extend all their support towards a smooth transition and ensuring that this unique Indian organization with a global presence and universal reach attains greater heights in the future,” it said.

Noting that the interests of TERI and its talented staff are paramount, the statement said that the GC members also expressed deep confidence in their dedication and the leadership of the institute.

Mathur has worked in leadership positions in the World Bank in WashingtonDC, as Director, interim Secretariat, Green Climate Fund in Bonn and in the private sector in India.

He took over as DG of BEE, where he has initiated and directed innovative programs, the statement said. 

Photograph: Steffi Loos/Reuters