Former TERI chief R K Pachauri dies after prolonged cardiac ailment

Pachauri, 79, had undergone an open heart surgery after suffering a stroke in Mexico in July last year

Environmentalist R K Pachauri, a former TERI chief under whose chairmanship the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged cardiac ailment.

He was 79.

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