The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday invited applications for the post of the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya According to the advertisement issued by the Trust, the CEO’s primary responsibility will be to discharge all statutory, administrative and financial responsibilities of the organisation.
श्री राम जन्मभूमि तीर्थक्षेत्र (न्यास) श्री राम जन्मभूमि मंदिर के मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी पद के लिए योग्य जनों से आवेदन आमंत्रित करता है
आवेदन की अंतिम तिथि: शनिवार १८ जुलाई २०२६; सायं ४ बजे
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (Trust) invites applications from eligible… pic.twitter.com/PHa0MbT5kY
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) July 13, 2026
The post was created following a donation-theft controversy at the revered temple in Ayodhya.
The objective is to enhance transparency, accountability and operational efficiency and also restore devotees’ faith in the Trust.
However, unlike several major Hindu temples in India that are administered through statutory boards under state governments, the Ram Mandir CEO will function solely under the Trust, with no government role in the appointment or administration.
First and foremost, the advertisement has been issued by the Trust. And as Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra was quoted as saying on Sunday, “the CEO will work as an assistant to the Trust, without any government interference.”
The CEO will report exclusively to the Trust and oversee its day-to-day administration, financial management, assets and operational systems. According to those familiar with the development, the appointment is a part of the internal administrative restructuring and does not signify any government oversight or takeover.
The Trust will continue to function as an independent private religious body.
Executive Officers or CEOs of many prominent temples are appointed under state legislation and function under government supervision.
These include the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh, where the state government appoints both the Board of Trustees and the CEO; the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir, administered through a statutory board constituted by the government; and the Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha, where a government-appointed Chief Administrator oversees temple affairs under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.
The issue of government control over Hindu temples has long been debated. Several organisations, including the VHP, have campaigned for greater autonomy, arguing that state control is discriminatory, undermines financial independence and inconsistent with the principle of separation between religion and the state.