Ayodhya: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has shortlisted 18 candidates for the final round of screening to select its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
More than 5,000 applications were screened over the last 20 days to prepare the final list of 18. The applicants included retired bureaucrats, judges, military veterans and scientists.
The applications were screened by a three-member committee comprising retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi, and Suresh Haware, a retired nuclear scientist and former chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi.
After the donation theft row, the Trust invited applications for the post of CEO last month.
The selection committee will now finalise three names after one-on-one interviews scheduled for August 11 and 12. The panel will assess not only their professional experience but also their commitment to the role and willingness to work out of Ayodhya.
The committee will hand over the three names to the Trust, which will then consider the recommendations at its next meeting in September before taking a final decision.
The key eligibility criteria included being retired, a Hindu aged between 50 and 70, having at least 20 years of experience in managing large establishments, and being “devoted to Lord Ram”.
“We segregated over 5,000 applications based on the criteria listed by us. We also conducted virtual interactions with some applicants to clarify certain points and understand their views. Based on the selection process over the past 20 days, about 18 names have been finalised for the final interview,” a member of the selection committee told The Indian Express, ”
The final interviews would be crucial in determining whether the candidates could handle the unique nature of the Trust’s operations, which combine institutional management with the day-to-day running of a major religious and public institution, he said.
“See, the individual would have to be extraordinary. He must have prior experience of managing a large organisation, but at the same time, this is a public place that requires day-to-day management. The CEO would have to camp in Ayodhya and should also be good at human resource and public handling, apart from managing visits of special guests and prominent seers,” the committee member said.
According to the member, several key responsibilities will be discussed during the interview to ensure that further mismanagement doesn’t take place.
