Practising Hindu, Ram devotee: Ayodhya Temple Trust invites CEO applications

Applicants must have handled multiple functions, including administration, finance, human resources, public relations, information technology, security and legal affairs. Those with experience in managing large religious institutions will be given preference.

In a key eligibility condition, the Trust has said the applicant must be a “practising Hindu” with “devotion to Lord Ram” and should be proficient in both Hindi and English.

The Trust has uploaded the detailed eligibility criteria on its official website and appointed a secretary to assist the panel during the selection process. Applications must be submitted by 4 pm on July 18 through the email address specified in the notification.

A three-member selection committee, constituted to oversee the appointment, had met on Monday and decided to invite applications through email.

The committee comprises retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi, and retired nuclear scientist and former chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi Suresh Haware.

Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone last week from Srinagar, as he participated in the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, Haware had called his new assignment a management challenge “bigger than Tirupati, Shirdi or even many of the country’s largest business organisations”.

“The challenge before us is very big because it is a question of public trust. Once trust is broken, it takes years to rebuild. Therefore, the system we create has to be transparent. A proper system of temple management has to be put in place,” he said, adding that he believes the task starts with finding the right person who can put in place such a system. And “the primary requirement is Ram ke prati shraddha ka bhav (devotion to Lord Ram)”.

On why Ayodhya requires a different model of administration, he had pointed to the sentiments attached to the Ayodhya temple. “It is not merely a newly constructed temple, it is associated with a struggle spanning more than 500 years. Every Hindu has an emotional connection with it. It is a symbol of faith and identity… This is perhaps the biggest temple institution in the country… That makes the responsibility much greater.”

Core responsibilities

As per the notification, the CEO will be appointed for an initial three-year term, extendable based on performance, and will be headquartered in Ayodhya. The salary and other service conditions will be finalised through mutual discussions.

According to the annexure issued by the Trust about the responsibilities, the CEO will function as the highest executive authority of the organisation and report to the Trust’s General Secretary.

The CEO will also be responsible for the temple’s day-to-day administration, financial management, security, pilgrim services, staff supervision, coordination of religious events, protection of Trust properties and execution of projects approved by the Trust Board.

The notification also assigns the CEO the responsibility of promoting and strengthening Sanatan traditions while safeguarding the reputation of the Trust and the Ram Temple.

The appointment comes as the Trust expands its administrative structure to match the scale of the Ram Temple, which now attracts lakhs of devotees every month. The creation of the CEO’s post is expected to bring a corporate-style management system to the temple while preserving its religious character.