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Ram temple trust’s hunt for deputy CEO begins, panel of candidates prepared
Newly appointed CEO and administrative team likely to handle day-to-day operations while trust focuses on policy and oversight
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Days after appointing Air Marshal (Retd) Jeetendra Mishra as the first chief executive officer, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will most likely appoint a deputy CEO.
The search committee has prepared a panel of candidates in three categories through a transparent process, said Govind Dev Giri in Ayodhya.
“No fresh search needed, deputy CEO will be picked from existing panels based on the trust’s requirement and qualifications,” Giri added.
The search panel comprises Justice (retired) Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retired) Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and scientist-industrialist Suresh Haware.
The deputy CEO’s appointment will create a two-tier administrative structure. While CEO Mishra will oversee broader functioning — security, coordination with govt agencies, implementation of major decisions — the deputy CEO will handle day-to-day operational coordination.
This will bring finance and accounts, internal audit, IT and digital monitoring, HR, project management and pilgrim facilities under a single chain of command, reducing need for trust office bearers to intervene in routine matters.
With the appointment of a full-time CEO and a deputy CEO, the direct involvement of trust office-bearers in everyday administration is likely to reduce.
Instead, the trust could increasingly concentrate on policy formulation, supervision and strategic decision-making, while operational responsibilities are delegated to the professional administrative structure headed by the CEO.
The arrangement could also reduce dependence on senior trust functionaries for smaller administrative decisions and minimise the need for parallel coordination among different committees and departments.
According to Giri, the trust was handed a completed temple for service, and its larger objective now is to establish Ayodhya as a global cultural capital.
He said efforts would focus on improving the overall environment around the Ram temple as part of this larger vision for Ayodhya.
The appointment of the CEO and the proposed deputy CEO marks a significant shift toward a more structured professional administration of the temple.
The CEO’s office could emerge as the central point for coordinating finance, security, human resources, technology, infrastructure, projects and pilgrim management. The deputy CEO, meanwhile, could serve as the operational link between these departments and ensure that decisions are implemented on the ground.
The new arrangement is expected to establish a clearer division between policy and oversight by the trust and day-to-day execution by the professional administrative team, as the Ram Temple’s operations and responsibilities continue to expand.
