The Ram Temple Trust’s selection panel has recommended three candidates for CEO after screening 5,585 applications.
The trust is expected to select the CEO at its meeting, which will also consider proposed amendments to the trust deed.
The appointment comes after allegations of donation irregularities and the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.
The three-member panel tasked with selecting the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has recommended three names for the post, with the temple trust expected to take the final decision on Wednesday, a Hindustan Times reports said. The appointment process began in July following allegations of donation irregularities and is aimed at strengthening the trust’s administrative systems and restoring public confidence.
Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said the final decision is likely to be taken during the trust’s meeting on Wednesday, the report said.
5,585 Apply For Ram Temple Trust CEO Post
The three-member selection committee comprised retired Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen (retd) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Haware.
Justice Kohli said the selection process was transparent and involved multiple rounds of screening.
Between July 11 and 18, the panel received 5,585 applications. To assess the applicants, the committee created a 600-mark Google Form based on eligibility criteria and other attributes, including commitment to the role, clarity of vision and understanding of relevant issues.
Of the 5,585 applicants, 3,577 submitted their responses. Following the evaluation, 108 candidates who scored 470 marks or above were selected for virtual interactions.
The panel subsequently shortlisted 17 candidates into three grades based on their performance and approach. Sixteen of them appeared for interviews in Ayodhya, following which the final three candidates were recommended to the trust.
“We can say with confidence that this selection process was entirely transparent and fair. The trust will now decide which of these three individuals will serve as the CEO,” Justice Kohli said.
Trust Meeting To Consider CEO Appointment, Deed Changes
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to meet in two sittings on Wednesday, from 2 pm to 3 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm, the report added. The meeting has a 12-point agenda and will be the trust’s third gathering since allegations of donation theft emerged.
The report said that amendments to the trust deed are likely to introduce new rules, regulations and powers for the CEO. This would be the first amendment to the deed since the trust was constituted on February 5, 2020.
The proposed changes may also create a legal provision for the possible re-entry of Champat Rai into the trust.
Rai, who was then the general secretary of the temple trust, and trustee Anil Mishra resigned on June 26, a day after Uttar Pradesh Police registered a case over alleged irregularities related to donations to the shrine.
The latest meeting comes amid the controversy over the alleged theft of offerings and Rai’s resignation. It will be held at Maniramdas Chhawani, the residence of trust president Nritya Gopal Das.
