{
  "id": 10878602,
  "title": "Eiffel Tower chief to step down after BAPS Hindu delegation row in Paris",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eiffel-tower-chief-to-step-down-after-baps-hindu-delegation-row-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T06:31:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/world/eiffel-tower-chief-patrick-branco-ruivo-resigns-baps-women-staff-controversy-10900145/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The director general of the company operating the Eiffel Tower announced his resignation at the end of 2026 following a controversy involving a Hindu religious delegation's visit. Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has been the director general since 2018, will leave his post after an investigation found operational flaws and shortcomings that led to the \"unacceptable\" exclusion of female staff. The incident, which occurred on September 5, involved a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visiting the Eiffel Tower. The delegation requested a visit that limited interactions with women, but the operator, SETE, accepted the request. As a result, female employees were sidelined, replaced, and made invisible, leading to a staff protest and a one-day closure of the Eiffel Tower on September 7. SETE stated that the conditions should not have been accepted, and an independent investigation found a series of operational failures. In response, SETE announced that Ruivo would leave his position at the end of 2026 and that the company would implement measures to promote gender equality.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Patrick Branco Ruivo resigns as Eiffel Tower director general in 2026",
    "Hindu delegation's visit led to female staff exclusion and protest",
    "SETE accepts delegation's request, triggers investigation and closure"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The director general's resignation signals a significant change in leadership at the Eiffel Tower's operating company, driven by a commitment to promote gender equality after a controversy over staff exclusion.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff replaced by men during religious visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eiffel-tower-chief-to-quit-after-female-staff-replaced-by-men-during",
        "published": "2026-09-30T03:10:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Eiffel Tower chief to quit after female staff replaced by men during religious visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eiffel-tower-chief-to-quit-after-female-staff-replaced-by-men-during-10881131",
        "published": "2026-09-30T06:35:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Eiffel Tower chief to step down after female staff replaced during religious visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eiffel-tower-chief-to-step-down-after-female-staff-replaced-during",
        "published": "2026-09-30T07:56:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Eiffel Tower chief Patrick Branco Ruivo to step down after female staff excluded during Hindu group's visit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eiffel-tower-chief-patrick-branco-ruivo-to-step-down-after-female",
        "published": "2026-09-30T08:54:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}