Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra. Source: X
LUCKNOW: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has chosen retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, September 2.
Media reports suggest that a high-powered panel picked Mishra’s name from a shortlist of three candidates out of 5,585 applications.
The former Indian Air Force commander retired in April 2026 as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, West Air Command.
According to the Hindustan Times, the Trust also named Mahesh Bhagchandka from Delhi, former additional advocate general Madan Mohan Pandey from Ayodhya, and Nirmala Yadav as new trustees.
The meeting was attended by Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Swami Kamalnayan Das, interim general secretary Dr Krishna Mohan, trustee Mahant Dinendra Das, and treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri.
The three-member selection committee that picked Mishra had retired Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retd) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Haware, said HT.
The CEO will be responsible for developing systems, procedures, and operational practices appropriate to the nature and scale of the organisation.
The appointments come against the backdrop of alleged embezzlement of temple donations that led to the arrest of eight people and the resignation of Champat Rai as general secretary earlier this year.
This post was last modified on September 2, 2026 5:31 pm