Air Marshal (retd) Jeetendra Mishra speaks to the media in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI video grab)
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He belongs to Bhopatpura village in Bhatpar Rani area of Deoria district in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Mishra, a fighter combat leader and an experimental test pilot, retired on April 30 as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Subroto Park-based Western Air Command. Air Marshal Mishra has more than 3,000 hours of flying experience.
Deep Dive
What is Jeetendra Mishra's role as the CEO of the Ram Temple trust?
Jeetendra Mishra serves as the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, overseeing the trust's daily operations, security, logistics, and financial management.
How did Jeetendra Mishra's experience in the Indian Air Force prepare him for the CEO position?
Mishra's four decades of service in the Indian Air Force, including leadership roles and operational planning, have equipped him with skills in discipline, integrity, and teamwork, essential for managing the trust's activities effectively.
What challenges does Jeetendra Mishra face as the new CEO amidst allegations of donation theft?
Mishra faces the challenge of restoring trust and ensuring transparent management of donations following allegations of irregularities, which have resulted in criminal investigations and the restructuring of the trust's leadership.
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The Command was at the centre of operational activities during Operation Sindoor—New Delhi’s muscular response to the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. It triggered four days of strikes and counterstrikes with fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10, 2025.
Under Mishra’s leadership, the WAC was ready to strike targets in Pakistan within hours of the Pahalgam terror attack. He was closely involved in selecting the terror targets in Pakistan and determining the weapons best suited to hit them with minimal collateral damage, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday. Mishra was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal for his role. “He is known for applying himself to the assigned task and executing it well,” said one of his NDA course-mates.
Mishra accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Adampur air base in Punjab after Operation Sindoor. The visit was designed to puncture Pakistan’s extensive disinformation campaign against India.
In a military career spanning nearly four decades, Mishra held several command and staff appointments. These included commanding officer of a fighter squadron, chief test pilot at the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), Air Officer Commanding of two frontline air bases, Director (Operational Planning and Assessment Group), and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) at Air HQ, Commandant ASTE and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation and Training).
Rahul Singh is Defence Editor at Hindustan Times and has covered military affairs and national security for nearly 25 years. Apart from extensive and deep reporting on the Indian military, including several newsbreaks that have set the national news agenda over the years, Rahul has reported from conflict zones including Jammu & Kashmir, India’s North-east and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rahul has co-authored the bestselling 'India's Most Fearless' series of books on recent Indian military operations. Widely read and translated into multiple languages, the books place an emphasis on firsthand accounts of daring missions across the three services. His work has been adapted into web series and films including the National Award-winning Amaran. Rahul comes from an Army background and attended schools across the country before completing his education from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Grew up playing tennis, now mostly cheers from the sidelines. Works in Delhi, heart in the mountains.
Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him.
He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust.
He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commission
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Home/India News/Op Sindoor planner tied to choosing terror targets in Pakistan: Who is Ram Temple CEO Jeetendra Mishra?
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