LUCKNOW: Around 20 candidates have been shortlisted for the interview round of the selection process for the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, after the Trust received around 5,200 applications for the post.
As per informed sources, the interviews will take place in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12. The selection committee will subsequently recommend three names to the Trust for the top post. The person appointed as CEO will be responsible for overseeing the overall management of the Shri Ram temple affairs.
The Trust is scheduled to announce the appointment of the new CEO on September 2.
In the wake of the alleged embezzlement of the donation fund of the Shri Ram temple reported in June this year, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Nyas (temple trust), at its July 6 board meeting, took the decision to appoint a chief executive officer to manage the temple affairs.
Subsequently, the Trust invited applications for the CEO position and received responses from candidates representing diverse professional backgrounds.
Notably, the Trust received around 5,200 applications for the CEO post last month. Following scrutiny of the applications, the selection committee conducted preliminary interviews with around 55 candidates recently.
After the initial screening, nearly 20 candidates have been called for the next round. Sources associated with the selection process said the number of shortlisted candidates was close to 20, but the exact figure was not disclosed.
The candidates shortlisted for the final round come from sectors including the armed forces, education and the corporate world. Applicants in the 50 to 70 age group were eligible for the position. The recruitment process was also open to women, with no gender specific criteria prescribed.
The interviews will be conducted in person in Ayodhya on Tuesday and Wednesday. All three members of the selection committee — retired Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lieutenant General (retd) Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi and retired nuclear scientist Suresh Haware, who also served as chairperson of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi — will be present on the interview panel.
Some members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are also expected to be present at the temple complex during the interviews.
Following the interviews, the selection committee will shortlist three candidates and submit their names to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for consideration.
