Overview
- A three‑member selection panel led by Justice Pramod Kohli started closed‑door interviews in Ayodhya on Tuesday for 18 finalists shortlisted from the recruitment drive.
- The trust moved to hire a CEO after a state Special Investigation Team in June registered an FIR, arrested eight people and recovered cash, gold and foreign currency in an alleged embezzlement of donation funds.
- The recruitment drew roughly 5,200–5,300 applications and used multiple screening rounds that reduced the field to about 18 candidates following preliminary interviews of around 55 applicants.
- The CEO post carries strict eligibility rules reported by the trust — practising Hindu, pure vegetarian, teetotaller, aged 50–70 with extensive administrative experience — and the appointee will report to the trust’s general secretary.
- After the panel completes interviews on Aug. 11–12 it will send three recommended names to the trust and the final appointment is expected to be announced on September 2, with the aim of restoring financial transparency and professionalising temple administration.