On 2nd September (Wednesday), retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra has been named the first CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The former senior Indian Air Force officer has been hired to the top executive position as the organisation in charge of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir overhauls its administration.
Mishra is from the Deoria district, which is near Ayodhya. His father was a lecturer, and he hails from a middle-class background. On 6th December 1986, he was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the IAF. He has over 3,000 hours of flying experience and served for more than 38 years as a fighter combat leader and experimental test pilot. He retired on 30th April this year.
Mishra graduated from the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, the Air Force Test Pilots School in Bengaluru, the National Defence Academy in Pune and the Air Command and Staff College in the United States. He was a chief test pilot at the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment and led a fighter squadron during his time in the service.
Additionally, he commanded two front-line air bases as an Air Officer. He occupied a number of high-level posts, such as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) at Air Headquarters, Principal Director of ASR and Director of the Operational Planning and Assessment Group.
Prior to being designated Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations), Mishra held the responsibilities of Commandant of ASTE and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff for Doctrine, Organisation and Training. He assumed leadership of the Western Air Command, a crucial operational unit within the IAF, in January 2025.
Afterwards, he presided over “Operation Sindoor” which targeted terrorist organisations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Mishra was instrumental in overseeing air drills during the pivotal operation. He has been honoured with multiple prestigious military awards, including the Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. He is also a recipient of the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal.
The trust’s decision and Mishra’s responsibilities
Millions of pilgrims continue to flock to the revered temple on a daily basis. Hence, the trust’s focus on improving operational discipline, crowd control, infrastructure growth, and security monitoring is highlighted by the decision to appoint an experienced military administrator.
Mishra’s time in the defence forces has given him decades of advanced administrative, operational and strategic planning skills. His experience managing complicated systems and large-scale public operations originates from his work in vital logistics, personnel management and defence administration.
He has a great deal of experience managing high-density operations under pressure and carrying out large-scale logistics. He has a track record of success in operational discipline, security procedures and multi-agency collaboration. Additionally, he has extensive experience supervising infrastructure and allocating resources within strict defence frameworks.
Mishra will preside over day-to-day operations of the 70-acre Ram Janmabhoomi grounds as CEO of the temple complex. His responsibility focuses on maintaining the site’s spiritual integrity while professionalising managerial tasks. He will be in charge of putting in place smooth queue management systems and entry-exit procedures to safely manage large crowds.
He is going to be responsible for supervising the remaining construction phase throughout the larger temple complex, which includes guest amenities and auxiliary shrines. He will work together with internal security teams, state police, and central security personnel to keep an impenetrable perimeter. He will make sure that pilgrim facilitation centres, IT infrastructure, sanitation drives and staff management are all streamlined.
The move represents a deliberate turn toward institutionalised management for India’s major religious complexes. The trust intends to create standard operating procedures that align with international benchmark requirements for public venue management by designating a veteran with substantial command experience. It is anticipated that Mishra’s induction will strengthen current initiatives to make Ayodhya a premier pilgrimage destination capable of managing enormous seasonal surges with ease.
The temple trust seeks to secure people’s faith by choosing a qualified CEO. The chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee, Nripendra Mishra, had previously emphasised that a full-time CEO was essential to provide professional management and transparency to the most high-profile temple project in the world.
The selection process
A three-person Search Committee led by Justice (retired) Pramod Kohli, a former Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, was established on 6th July, marking the start of the selection process. The other participants were retired nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Avaran and retired Lieutenant General B K Chaturvedi.
Applications from all around India totalled 5,585. 16 individuals were ultimately shortlisted by the committee and invited to Ayodhya for in-person meetings on 11th and 12th August. Their backgrounds, work histories, personalities and professional skills were evaluated. In the end, Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Vishwasrao and Shruti Bhardwaj were suggested for the position. The trustees chose Mishra as the first CEO after weighing the profiles of all three.
The CEO will be the highest executive authority at the helm of the organisation’s officers, functionaries, employees, and staff, among other duties. In addition to ensuring compliance with all legal, regulatory and Trust Deed obligations, he will take charge of the effective management of the trust’s present operations and future growth.
