Around 20 candidates have been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after the organisation received around 5,200 applications for the post. The shortlisted candidates are scheduled to appear for in-person interviews in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12. The selection process is being conducted to appoint a CEO who will oversee the overall management of the Shri Ram temple affairs. According to sources familiar with the selection process, the interviews will be conducted by a three-member selection committee.

The panel comprises retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lieutenant General (retd) Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and retired nuclear scientist Suresh Haware, who has also served as chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi. Members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are also expected to be present at the temple complex during the interview process. The selection committee is expected to recommend three names to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after completing the interviews. The Trust will subsequently consider the recommendations before finalising the appointment.

Sources said the new CEO is expected to be announced on September 2, making the upcoming interview round a key stage in the process to fill the newly created position. The recruitment process began after the Trust's board meeting on July 6 decided to appoint a CEO to oversee the temple's affairs. The decision followed an alleged embezzlement of the Shri Ram temple donation fund reported in June. The proposed CEO position is intended to provide overall administrative oversight of the temple's operations and related affairs as the Trust continues to manage the complex and its activities.

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The Trust subsequently invited applications from eligible candidates, attracting responses from people with professional backgrounds across several sectors. Around 5,200 applications were received last month, following which the selection committee conducted preliminary interviews with approximately 55 candidates. After scrutiny and the initial screening process, close to 20 applicants were selected for the next round. Sources involved in the process said the number was near 20 but did not disclose the exact figure. The shortlisted candidates reportedly include professionals from the armed forces, education sector and corporate world.

Applicants between the ages of 50 and 70 were eligible to apply for the position. The recruitment process was also open to women, with no gender-specific eligibility criteria prescribed for the post. The diversity of professional backgrounds among the shortlisted candidates reflects the Trust's search for an individual capable of handling the administrative responsibilities associated with the temple's growing operations. The two-day interview process in Ayodhya will allow the selection committee to assess the shortlisted candidates before making its recommendations.

Following the interviews, three names will be forwarded to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for consideration. The final appointment will determine who takes charge of the temple's overall management and administrative affairs. The creation of the CEO post marks a significant step in the Trust's administrative structure, particularly as the Shri Ram temple continues to attract large numbers of devotees and requires extensive organisational management. With thousands of applications reduced to a shortlist of around 20 candidates, the August 11 and 12 interviews are expected to be a crucial stage before the Trust announces its choice on September 2.

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