Ram Mandir Trust Seeks CEO: Applicants Must Be Practising Hindus, Devotees of Ram
LUCKNOW: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday invited applications for the position of chief executive officer (CEO) for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The move aims to professionalise the temple's management following an alleged theft of donations by cash-counting agents.
According to the notification posted on the trust's official X handle, applicants must be graduates aged between 50 and 70 years. They must also be 'actively practising Hindus'. Preference will be given to candidates who are Ram devotees from the Vaishnava tradition. The appointment is for a three-year term, and the last date for applications is July 18.
The CEO will report to the trust's general secretary and must have at least 20 years of managerial experience in a large public organisation, institution, government department, or company. Expertise across administration, finance, human resources, public relations, IT, security, and legal affairs is required. The notification states that preference will be given to candidates who have served as chief administrative officers or have experience managing a temple or Hindu religious institution. Retired officers meeting the eligibility criteria may also apply. Emoluments will be finalised after mutual discussions.
A 15-point annexure outlines the CEO's responsibilities, including framing standard operating procedures, systems, and protocols for the temple's day-to-day functions. All conditions in the original trust deed must be followed, and approvals must be sought from the general secretary and permanent trust members before any decision is implemented. The CEO will work independently under the trust's supervision.
The decision to appoint a CEO was made during a trust meeting on July 6, following the arrest of eight individuals, including six cash-counting agents, on suspicion of stealing cash, ornaments, and other valuables from donation boxes while counting and making inventories. The trust also accepted the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and senior trust member Anil Mishra, who held administrative and financial powers. Member and retired IFS officer Krishna Mohan was appointed interim general secretary. A three-member search panel comprising a retired high court judge, a retired lieutenant governor, and a former nuclear scientist was also constituted. The next trust meeting is scheduled for July 22, where members may decide how to fill three vacant positions.
