Ex-TERI Chief & Economist RK Pachauri Passes Away At 79 After Prolonged Heart Ailment

The information about the demise of 79-year-old the Indian engineer and economist who led the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was shared by TERI Director General Ajay Mathur.

Pachauri was admitted to Escorts Heart Institute in the national capital where he underwent open heart surgery. (Image: Twitter/ TERI)

New Delhi: Former The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) chief Rajendra K Pachauri passed away on Thursday evening after battling a prolonged cardiac ailment. The information about the demise of 79-year-old the Indian engineer and economist who led the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was shared by TERI Director General Ajay Mathur in an official statement. "It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing away of R K Pachauri, the founder Director of TERI. The entire TERI family stands with the family of Dr Pachauri in this hour of grief," Mathur said in a statement issued by the TERI. "TERI is what it is because of Dr Pachauri's untiring perseverance. He played a pivotal role in growing this institution, and making it a premier global organisation in the sustainability space," said Mathur, who succeeded Pachauri at TERI in 2015.

It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing away of Dr RK Pachauri, the Founder Director of TERI. The entire TERI family stands with the family of Dr Pachauri in this hour of grief. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/zoDs9q6aEB

— TERI (@teriin) February 13, 2020

According to news agency PTI, Pachauri was admitted to Escorts Heart Institute in the national capital where he underwent open heart surgery and was put on life support on Tuesday. In 2015, Pachauri was accused of allegedly sexually harassing a woman colleague after which he quit the post. In the statement issued by TERI, its Chairman Nitin Desai hailed Pachauri's contribution to global sustainable development as "unparalleled". Pachauri was the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2002-15 and saw it awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 along with former US Vice President Al Gore "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change". Former Election Commissioner, S.Y. Quraishi took to Twitter to mourn his passing. "Sad to know about the passing on of Nobel laureate R.K. Pachauri, founder chairman of TERI. May his soul rest in peace." He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. (With inputs from agencies)