Overview

• The Supreme Court stayed provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance that would have allowed the state to constitute a temple trust.
• It established a 12 to 14-member interim management committee led by retired Justice Ashok Kumar to handle the shrine’s affairs until the High Court ruling.
• The committee includes senior district officials, an ASI representative, an architect and two nominees from each of the Goswami factions.
• It will oversee essential services such as water, sanitation, seating and crowd management while planning holistic development and potential land acquisition for a pilgrimage corridor.
• The Allahabad High Court has been directed to resolve petitions challenging the ordinance’s constitutional validity within one year.