Teri students angry over Pachauri’s elevation boycott classes

From boycotting classes, to having student body meetings, forming a petition expressing their concerns and taking to social media to express anger, students at The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) had no qualms about their resentment against the promotion of RK Pachauri as the executive vice-chairman of the university.

“We strongly feel that Mr RK Pachauri should not have been promoted while the sexual harassment case filed against him by a former Teri employee is sub judice. We do not know what the true story is, if the allegations of the woman researcher are true or false but to promote a person who is facing these allegations is definitely not right. They could have done it once he came out clean. What was the hurry?” a student said on condition of anonymity.

The students drafted a petition listing their concerns and addressed it to their acting vice-chancellor Rajiv Seth. Over 300 students gathered at the campus for a public meeting where their concerns were addressed.

“The acting VC told us that Teri university is a distinct body and is not related to Teri office…university in no way can influence appointment of the vice-president. However it is very difficult for us to de-tangle ourselves from this since the parent organisation is Teri,” a student says.

While the final-year students seemed emphatic on taking a stern stand against Pachauri’s promotion, the first year students look perturbed.

“…My relatives and parents ask me to be safe and take care. How do I explain to them that Teri university is different from the institute,” she says.