To

The Governing Council of TERI:

Prof.B.V.Sreekantan

Hon.Visiting Professor
National Institute of Advanced Studies,
Indian Institute of Science Campus,
Bangalore - 560012

Dr (Ms) Wakako Hironaka

Coop Olympia,
408, Jingumae6-35-3,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan.

Mr.Deepak.S.Parekh

Chairman,
Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.,
Ramon House, H T Parekh Marg, 169, Backbay
Reclamation, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020.

Ms.Naina Lal Kidwai

Group General Manager and Country Head, India,

Executive Director, The Hong Kong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation Ltd. (HSBC),
Birla Towers, 25 Barakhamba Road,
Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001.

Dr.Shailesh Nayak

Secretary, Government of India,

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Prithvi Bhavan,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003.

Dr.Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Chairman and Managing Director,

Biocon Ltd., 20th KM Hosur Road, Electronics City,
Bangalore 560100.

Mr.Hemendra.M.Kothari

Chairman, DSP Black Rock Investment Managers

Pvt. Ltd., Mafatlal Centre, 10th floor,
Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021.

Dr.Henrik.O.Madsen

Group President and CEO,

DNV GL Group, Veritasveien 20,
N 1322, Hvik, Norway

25.02.2015

Dear Madam/ Sir,

We write to you in your capacity as a Member of the Governing Council of TERI.

The Institute is, as we all know, of national and international importance and
recognized the world over for its leadership in the field of protection and
preservation of the environment and for Creating Innovative Solutions for
Sustainable Development. As the website of the Institution says We are a
dynamic flexible organization with a global vision and local focus."

The Mission of the organization is stated to be:

-

Tackle issues of concern to Indian society, and the world at large, and
develop innovative and cost effective solutions.

Enhance networking for sustainable interventions.

Realize potential for national and international leadership as a knowledge

based agent of change in the fields of energy, environment, other natural
resources and sustain able development.

Inspire and reach out to diverse stakeholders for realising a shared vision
of global sustainable development could be translated into action.

We, the undersigned also wish to raise with you, issues of concern to Indian
society, perhaps one of the most vexed issues, namely the status of the women
in the country. Despite all the laws that we have put in place, despite all the
efforts made by the country to secure the safety of women following the incident
of sexual violence on 16th December 2012, women in this country continue to be
vulnerable in public places, in their homes and at the workplace. We can only
conclude that society cannot be changed by law alone and what is really needed
is change in our actions and thoughts. It is for the leadership of organizations at
the top level to demonstrate this change in their actions. Unfortunately, all too
often, we have seen men in positions of power take advantage of the

vulnerability of younger women by sexually harassing them, leading to attrition

and dropping out of women from the workforce.
You are fully aware that a complaint of sexual harassment at the work place has
been submitted by a woman employee against Dr.R.K.Pachauri, who is the
Director General of the organization. He should be setting an example of
exemplary conduct for the 1,000 strong staff to follow, instead of which we find
that he has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman working directly
under him.
The website update reads:

Internal Complaints Committee

The Presiding Officer of the Internal Complaints Committee of TERI,
established under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act,
2013, received a complaint on February 9, 2015 from a female colleague.
After due deliberations the Committee met the complainant on February 17,
2015. The Committee then handed over a copy of the complaint to the
respondent on the same day. The Committee is proceeding with its work as
per laid down procedure and timelines.

Without getting into the merits of whether or not the Internal Complaints
Committee is constituted in accordance with law, which is a separate and distinct
issue, the question that we wish to raise with you is that why have you not
considered it appropriate to suspend Dr. R.K. Pachauri from his position as
Director General of the Institution pending the enquiry. In our opinion no fair
inquiry can be held while he is still the Director General of the Organization.
Given that he is the senior most executive of the Organization, it stands to
reason that all members of the Internal Complaints Committee would be junior
to him, exaggerating an already existing imbalance of power between him and
the Complainant and between him and members of the Internal Complaints
Committee.
In his letter of resignation to the U.N., Secretary General Dr.R.K.Pachauri is
reported to have said The IPCC needs strong leadership and dedication of time
and full attention by the chair in the immediate future, which under the current
circumstances I am unable to provide.
Surely the same logic should apply to his position as Chair as Director General of
TERI.

We have noticed from news reports that Dr.R.K.Pachauri has proceeded on

leave. We fail to understand why this extraordinary benefit has been allowed to
him and why he was allowed to go on leave rather than sanctioned. Considering
he is the Director General subject to all rules and regulations of TERI, a
disciplinary enquiry must be initiated against him for acts of misconduct and he
must be suspended pending the entity. Allowing him to go on leave is adding
insult to injury and we request that disciplinary proceedings be initiated against
him forthwith if he fails to resign. We would also like to place on record our
concerns that the women employee must be given adequate witness protection
and given freedom to conduct the multiple court proceedings that are in progress
without any hindrance and be granted leave with pay if she so desires.
In your capacity as Governing Council members, you will agree that you carry a
heavy responsibility to steer the organization in a value-based direction and to
provide an atmosphere within the organization free from sexual harassment or
any other form of discrimination against women.
We, therefore, write to you in our capacity as concerned citizens to call upon
Dr.R.K.Pachauri to resign from the position of Director General of TERI. You
alone have the power to do, and if he fails to do so you have the power to
terminate his engagement as Director General of TERI.
6

Sustainability of the earth which we all love so much, requires first and foremost
the sustainability of human beings and this requires that leaders and eminent
persons at the helm of an organization respect the dignity and autonomy of
women at the workplace. His resignation pending inquiry will send a message to
the nation that as a group of eminent public personalities, you care about the
well being and status of the women in society and that as a nation we do not
tolerate the violation of the dignity and autonomy of women.

Yours sincerely,
Indira Jaising, Sr. Advocate Supreme Court of India
Dr. Syeda Hameed, former Member Planning Commission of India
Vrinda Grover, Advocate Supreme Court of India
Kavita Krishnan, Secy. All India Progressive Womens Association
Suneeta Dhar, Director Jagori
Pamela Philipose, Senior Journalist
Kavita Srivastava, National Secretary, PUCL
Nivedita Menon, Professor, JNU