'Devotion To Lord Ram' Primary Requirement For Ayodhya Temple Trust CEO, Says Search Panel Member

Last Updated:July 10, 2026, 07:47 IST

The selection committee is expected to recommend three names to the Ram Temple trust, which will make the final appointment.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has begun the search for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with members of the selection panel saying the appointment is expected to go beyond administrative competence and focus on restoring the confidence of millions of devotees following the recent donation theft controversy.

The move comes days after the trust initiated a major organisational overhaul in the wake of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations, a scandal that has triggered political attacks, public outrage and intensified scrutiny over the management of one of India’s most significant religious institutions.

‘CEO Must Be A Ram Devotee’

Speaking to The Indian Express, retired IAS officer and selection committee member Suresh Haware said the person chosen for the post should not merely possess administrative skills but should also have deep faith in Lord Ram. Haware said the primary requirement for the CEO is “Ram ke prati shraddha ka bhav (devotion towards Lord Ram)". “We are not looking for just an administrator. The CEO should be a Ram devotee. The responsibility before the new CEO will be enormous because the trust of devotees has been shaken," Haware told The Indian Express, adding that rebuilding that trust would be among the appointee’s foremost responsibilities.

Haware said that the recent donation theft case has shaken the faith of devotees, making the new CEO’s foremost responsibility the rebuilding of public confidence in the trust’s functioning. The search is focused on integrity as much as experience, he said, adding that the committee is looking for a person with an impeccable reputation who can inspire confidence among devotees while also ensuring efficient administration of the temple and its affairs.

As per the report, the selection committee is expected to recommend three names to the trust, which will make the final appointment. The position is being seen as crucial because the CEO will oversee the temple’s day-to-day administration, financial systems and governance at a time when the trust is under unprecedented public scrutiny.

Leadership Shake-Up At Ram Mandir

The CEO recruitment exercise follows sweeping changes announced by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after the donation theft case surfaced.

The trust has said the new CEO will play a central role in introducing stronger institutional safeguards and restoring public confidence. Trust officials have acknowledged that the controversy has deeply hurt devotees and stressed that reforms are aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accountability in handling offerings made by pilgrims.

The trust has already accepted the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, appointed interim arrangements and constituted a search panel to identify suitable candidates for the CEO’s post.

Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri has also said that the alleged theft might have been prevented had the trust earlier appointed a professionally experienced CEO with stronger administrative oversight.

The incoming CEO will be expected to strengthen financial controls, improve operational transparency and reassure devotees that every contribution is being safeguarded.

The three-member search committee constituted by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to recommend names for the new CEO comprises:

• Justice (Retd) Pradeep Kohli – Former Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.
• Lt Gen (Retd) Vishnukant Chaturvedi – Former Vice-Chancellor of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya and a retired Army officer.
• Suresh Haware – Former chairman of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust and a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

With the temple continuing to attract lakhs of pilgrims, the trust hopes the appointment will mark the beginning of a governance reset, one focused not just on efficient administration but on rebuilding public faith after one of the biggest controversies to hit the Ram temple since its consecration.

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