3 min readLucknowAug 12, 2026 06:12 PM IST
First published on: Aug 12, 2026 at 02:16 PM IST
The Ram Temple Trust began interviews Tuesday to pick its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO), with eight of 16 shortlisted candidates appearing on Day 1. This comes in the wake of the controversy over alleged embezzlement of donations at the temple.
Candidates were asked to report at the Pilgrim Facilitation Centre in the temple complex with their ID proof and other documents, sources said. Their details were verified before personal interviews began around 11 am. Each interview lasted for nearly half an hour, it is learnt.
The major focus was on the applicants’ professional and administrative experience; questions related to maintaining security in the temple complex were also asked, one of the candidates who appeared on Tuesday said.
Candidates were also asked about their association with social or religious organisations, their understanding of functioning of temples, their association with Hindu religious institutions, sources said.
Retired IAS, IPS and military officers are among the shortlisted candidates who have already been interviewed virtually, it is learnt.
Who was interviewed?
Former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey was among the shortlisted candidates and he confirmed that he had appeared before the selection panel on Tuesday.
A 2003-batch IPS officer and a Prayagraj resident, Pandey, 65, was known for encounters during his service and was promoted from the Provincial Police Service (PPS).
He served as the senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Lucknow, Aligarh, Meerut and Saharanpur districts and was part of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). He was also part of the teams that investigated the 2005 Ayodhya terror attack and the 2006 Varanasi blasts.
Besides, he has been serving as secretary of the Aliganj Hanuman Mandir in Lucknow since 2022, he said.
PTI reported that former Jaunpur district magistrate Dinesh Chandra was also among those interviewed on Tuesday.
The Trust had received over 5,000 applications from across the country after inviting applications for the CEO’s post last month. The eligibility criteria included a minimum graduate degree, 50-70 years age and at least 20 years of “executive leadership” experience.
The remaining candidates are scheduled to appear on Wednesday before the selection committee comprising retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lieutenant General (retired) Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Haware, a retired nuclear scientist and former chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi.
The CEO will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative functioning of the temple and various projects associated with the shrine. After the completion of the interviews, the committee is likely to shortlist three names, and then the Trust will finalise the candidate for the job. The incumbent’s proposed tenure is three years, with remunerations yet be decided.
The Trust had received over 5,000 applications from across the country after inviting applications after the CEO's post was advertised by the Trust last month. (File Photo) 
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