Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra Named 1st CEO Of Ram Temple Trust; Govind Dev Giri To Replace Champat Rai

Ayodhya: Former Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra has been appointed the first chief executive officer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, while Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the trust's treasurer, will take over as general secretary, replacing Champat Rai.

The decisions were taken unanimously at a meeting of the trust held at Maniram Das Chhawani in Ayodhya on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. The meeting was attended by senior office-bearers and invited members of the trust.

New leadership at temple trust

The appointment of Govind Dev Giri as general secretary assumes significance as he will take over the position previously held by Champat Rai and will head the executive functioning of the temple trust.

Rai had resigned from the post after allegations were raised over the functioning and financial affairs of the trust. His resignation came after a controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in the management of temple donations and other administrative matters.

Trust's acting general secretary Krishna Mohan said 16 candidates were interviewed for the CEO's post, following which three names were shortlisted. They were Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra, Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh and Shruti Bhardwaj. The trust subsequently finalised Mishra's name.

Mishra’s role and background

Mishra's appointment comes as the Ram temple moves beyond its construction phase towards regular operations and the development of the temple complex as a major religious and tourism centre.

The CEO will oversee the temple's day-to-day administrative and operational arrangements, including management of devotees, security, darshan systems, staff, facilities and coordination among various government agencies.

Mishra joined the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot on December 6, 1986. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Pune and the Air Force Test Pilots School, he accumulated more than 3,000 hours of flying experience during his career and flew more than 18 types of aircraft.

He held several important command and staff positions in the Air Force and served as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. He also served in senior command positions and received training at prominent defence institutions in India, the United States and Britain.

Temple administration expansion

Mishra, originally from Bhopatpura village in the Bhatpar Rani area of Deoria district, rose through the ranks to senior leadership positions in the IAF. He has been decorated with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service.

His military experience in command, organisational management, operational planning and coordination is expected to be useful as the temple administration prepares to handle large numbers of devotees and an expanding range of facilities.

The trust also announced the appointment of three new members: Madan Mohan Pandey, a senior advocate from Ayodhya, Mahesh Bhagchandka of Delhi and Dr Nirmala Yadav of Shikohabad.

Pandey was part of the legal team that represented Ram Lalla in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute. According to Krishna Mohan, he is a resident of Ayodhya and has been associated with the legal proceedings concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi case.

Yadav, a resident of Shikohabad, holds postgraduate degrees in Hindi and Sanskrit and has around 15 years of experience working at a university.

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Trust meeting details

The trust's Wednesday meeting was attended by senior members and invited representatives. Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad joined the meeting online.

A second meeting was held at 3 p.m., which was also attended by Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee.

The trust's principal members include senior Supreme Court advocate K. Parasaran, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chairman of the trust, and Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj.

Other members include Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati of Prayagraj, Jagadguru Madhvacharya Swami Vishwaprasanna Tirtha of Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Parmanand Ji Maharaj of Haridwar and Mahant Dinendra Das, representing the Nirmohi Akhara.

The ex-officio and government representatives include Nripendra Misra, chairman of the temple construction committee, Prashant Lokhande, representing the central government, Sanjay Prasad, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, and Ayodhya District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi.