The process of appointing the first full-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which will handle the management of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, is underway. On Tuesday, interviews of shortlisted candidates for the post of CEO were held. During this, many types of questions were asked to the candidates, from their religious beliefs, worship, eating habits to their thinking and vision regarding Ram Temple.
According to the information, out of a total of 5,200 applications, 18 candidates were shortlisted for the post of CEO. These candidates were made to fill a detailed Google Form with 34 questions before the interview.
How were the questions asked to the candidates?
In this, information was sought from the candidates about their work experience, family, their beliefs related to Hindu religion and religious-social activities. The candidates were also asked questions related to their leadership abilities and their experience in handling large crowds. Apart from this, information was also taken from him about the management of Ram Temple and his thinking regarding the future. According to a person with knowledge of the matter, the candidates were asked several questions related to their personal religious habits in the Google Form.
Candidates were asked whether they had a shikha i.e. a peak on their head? Do they wear sacred thread? Are they completely vegetarian or eat non-vegetarian food? Do they consume alcohol or stay away from alcohol completely? Apart from this, they were also asked whether they consider themselves to be devout Hindus and whether they would be comfortable in adopting the dress code prescribed according to Hindu religion.
Candidates were also asked questions related to their professional experience. He was asked where he had worked before, how big a crowd he had handled and how much faith he had in Lord Ram. Information about the families of the candidates was also taken.
How long did the interview last?
Another person associated with the matter said that the interview of each candidate lasted for about one to two hours. According to him, the purpose of the interview was not only to test the administrative ability of the candidate, but also to understand his religious beliefs, nature, thinking and his vision for the world's most famous temple project.
Face to face interview of 8 out of 18 candidates on Tuesday
All the 18 candidates shortlisted for the post of CEO have previously given online interviews. On Tuesday, only 8 of these candidates were interviewed face to face. Four former IAS officers are also included in these 8 candidates.
Who are the possible candidates?
The names of the shortlisted candidates have not been made public yet. However, according to a third person with knowledge of the matter, former IPS officer Rajesh Pandey is also included in the list of candidates. His face-to-face interview is to be held on Wednesday. Rajesh Pandey has held the post of Inspector General in Uttar Pradesh Police. Before this, he had also been the Senior Superintendent of Police i.e. SSP of Lucknow. He has also been one of the founding members of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force.
Pandey had last worked as IG of Bareilly Range in his career. He is also the secretary of the historical Hanuman temple located in Aliganj, Lucknow. A large number of devotees visit this temple during festivals.
The name of retired IAS officer Yogeshwar Mishra is also being mentioned among the possible candidates. However, he neither confirmed nor denied that he had been shortlisted for the interview.
Yogeshwar Mishra was the District Magistrate or DM of Faizabad from 7 January to 26 March 2016. For the last time in his career, he had worked as Divisional Commissioner of Gonda Division.
Who is selecting the candidates for the post of CEO?
The selection committee formed to select the CEO includes former Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Hawre. This committee will shortlist the names of three candidates and submit them to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by September 2. The meeting of the executive committee of the trust is also proposed on 2 September. After this the Trust will interview these three candidates and one of them will be selected for the post of CEO.
Why is the post of full-time CEO being created?
The decision to appoint a full-time CEO for the first time in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was taken when allegations of alleged embezzlement of donation amount came to light. After these allegations, questions were raised regarding the financial arrangements and money management of the trust. So far 8 accused have been arrested in this case. Apart from this, three officers of the trust have also resigned from their posts. These include former general secretary of the trust Champat Rai.
What responsibilities will the CEO have?
The post of CEO will be the post with the highest executive responsibility in the trust. The main responsibility of the CEO will be to handle the legal, financial and administrative functioning of the Trust. Apart from this, preparing various arrangements and systems in the temple will also be an important part of the responsibility of the CEO. Considering the arrival of crores of devotees in Ram temple every year, it will be a big responsibility of this post to maintain the crowd and administrative system smoothly.
The CEO will have to coordinate with various agencies of the Center and the state regarding the security arrangements of the temple. Along with this, the work of religious rituals and festivals happening in the temple will also have to be conducted in a systematic manner.
Role of Center and RSS?
A senior member of the Trust told Hindustan Times that since this post is very sensitive, the final selection is likely to be done under the direct supervision of the Central Government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This member of the trust, on the condition of anonymity, said that the person occupying the post of CEO will be someone on whom both the government and the union have confidence.