Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra named Ram Temple Trust CEO
Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra has been appointed the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, marking a significant change in the administrative structure governing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The decision was taken at a Trust meeting in Ayodhya on Wednesday.
Mishra will be responsible for overseeing the temple's administrative and operational affairs as the Trust moves towards a more professionalised management system.
Mishra's selection followed an extensive recruitment exercise for the newly created full-time position. The Trust received 5,585 applications from across the country.
A three-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, along with retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Haware, conducted multiple rounds of screening, virtual interactions and interviews in Ayodhya before recommending three names to the Trust.
The former Air Marshal brings nearly four decades of experience in the Indian Air Force to the role.
He was commissioned as a fighter pilot on December 6, 1986, and went on to hold several senior command and staff positions.
He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF's Western Air Command and has more than 3,000 hours of flying experience.
Mishra is also a fighter combat leader and experimental test pilot. His professional training includes the National Defence Academy in Pune, Air Force Test Pilots School in Bengaluru, Air Command and Staff College in the US, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.
He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
His appointment comes amid a broader administrative restructuring within the Ram Temple Trust.
The move to create a dedicated CEO post gained urgency following allegations of irregularities involving temple donations, which led to arrests and the resignation of senior Trust functionaries.
The new position is expected to strengthen oversight of the temple's expanding administrative, financial and operational responsibilities.
The Trust also appointed three new trustees: Mahesh Bhagchandka, Madan Mohan Pandey and Nirmala Yadav, as part of the wider restructuring.
Mishra's appointment therefore marks a shift towards a dedicated executive leadership model for the Ram Temple, with the former Air Force commander now tasked with managing one of India's most high-profile religious institutions.