The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, on Wednesday appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, who headed the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor, as its first chief executive officer (CEO). The Trust also inducted three new members into the body as part of the clean-up process it had pledged in the aftermath of the donation theft row.Former Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri was named the new general secretary, while Mahesh Bhagchandka was appointed treasurer.Three new trustees inducted were Madan Mohan Pandey from Ayodhya, Bhagchandka from Delhi and Nirmala Yadav from Shikohabad.Pandey was the lawyer of Ram Lalla Virajman during the prolonged Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid legal dispute.Today’s appointments capped three months of controversy that raged after the Ram Mandir donation theft issue first surfaced on June 7. The political storm that followed led to high-profile resignations, including of RSS-linked VHP’s Champat Rai, the influential general secretary of the Trust, and Anil Mishra, a Trust member. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in UP reacted immediately by setting up an SIT on the matter while the Trust vowed to put its act together and restore the faith of worshippers.Against this backdrop, Air Marshal Mishra was chosen as the CEO from a shortlist of three candidates after the Trust’s selection committee scrutinised 5,585 applications. The other shortlisted candidates were Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Bisht and Shruti Hardwari.The appointment of 62-year-old former Air Marshal Mishra was preceded by an elaborate search and selection process spearheaded by a committee led by Justice Pramod Kohli (retd) and comprising Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi (retd) and former scientist Suresh Haware. It submitted its final report to Govind Dev Giri on Tuesday.Of the 5,585 applications received, 3,577 candidates submitted details for evaluation under a 600-mark framework. The process subsequently narrowed to 108 candidates who scored 470 marks or more for virtual interactions, followed by 16 candidates being interviewed in person in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12.The CEO selection process involved AI-assisted screening as well as manual assessment, Trust officials said after the meeting attended by Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Giri and other trustees. Many Trust members participated online.Air Marshal Mishra, who hails from Deoria district, served in the IAF, receiving several military decorations.In a lengthy letter posted on X, the Trust said, “The comprehensive, transparent, and technology-enabled process for selecting the CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has been completed… After reviewing 5,585 applications, the selection committee held detailed discussions with 16 candidates. Today, the committee submitted the final panel of three highly qualified candidates to the Trust, and made the final decision and official announcement.””We expect to rely on Air Marshal Mishra’s experience in discipline, organisational management, leadership and inter-agency coordination as the temple administration expands.”According to the Trust, the CEO will have the responsibility to develop systems, procedures and operational practices appropriate to the nature and scale of the organisation, build and strengthen the organisational structure in accordance with the objectives, nature and size of the institution.Among other responsibilities, the CEO will serve as the highest executive authority responsible for the officers, functionaries, employees and staff of the organisation.The CEO will oversee efficient management of the Trust’s current activities and future development and ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory and Trust deed requirements.