Former TERI chief RK Pachauri has passed away. He breathed his last on Thursday after a prolonged cardiac ailment. Pachauri, 79, was admitted to the Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi on Tuesday. He was put on life support. Pachauri underwent open-heart surgery at Escorts Heart Institute after suffering a stroke in Mexico in July last year.
In a series of tweets, TERI expressed condolences on the passing away of RK Pachauri.
“Dr Pachauri’s contribution to global sustainable development is unparalleled. His leadership of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) laid the ground for climate change conversations today,” added TERI Chairman Nitin Desai.
In a statement, his family said Pachauri underwent a major heart surgery before succumbing to his deteriorating health on Thursday. He was admitted to Escorts Heart Institute here on Tuesday.
Pachauri passed away at his residence in the national capital with wife, daughter and son by his side.
"His courageous leadership allowed climate change to be recognized world over as the most pressing issue confronting the world and launched a new era of international deliberations and actions," said his family.
The The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) expressed grief over the passing away of its founding director.
"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," TERI Director General Ajay Mathur said in the statement.
"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.
In 2015, Pachauri faced allegations of sexual harassment.
But before this episode, he had a distinguished career whose highest point came in October 2007 when he collected the Nobel peace prize as the head of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), jointly with former US Vice President Al Gore.
Pachauri won the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the third and second highest civilian awards of the country.
(With Agency inputs)
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