Amid the noise of donation theft, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first chief executive officer.
Mishra commanded Western Air Command, one of the IAF's key operational commands, which demolished Pakistan airbase during Operation Sindoor, the Indian military operation against terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
By bringing a former armed forces commander into the top executive role, the trust is looking at resurrecting its image after the donation theft fiasco.
The new structure also includes Mahesh Bhagchandka taking charge as treasurer, while Swami Govinddev Giri will not continue as general secretary. Three new trustees – Mahesh Bhagchandka, Madan Mohan Pandey and Dr Nirmala Yadav – have also been appointed.
Who is Jeetendra Mishra?
Jeetendra Mishra is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Pune. He has also undergone specialised trainings at Air Force Test Pilots School in Bengaluru, Air Command and Staff College in the US and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.
Mishra was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot on December 6, 1986. He served for more than 38 years and is a Fighter Combat Leader and experimental Test Pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience.
Mishra has received several military honours, including the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
How Mishra was selected?
The process began on July 6, 2026, when a three-member Search Committee was constituted under Justice (retd) Pramod Kohli, former Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. Retired Lieutenant General B K Chaturvedi and retired nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Avaran were the other members
The committee held its first meeting on July 11, when it finalised the eligibility criteria and selection process. A total of 5,585 applications were received from across India.
The committee eventually shortlisted 16 candidates, who were invited to Ayodhya for face-to-face interactions on August 11 and 12. The candidates were assessed on their background, work experience, personality and professional capabilities.
Three names were ultimately recommended for the post: Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, Major General Sanjay Pratap Singh Vishwasrao and Shruti Bhardwaj. After considering the profiles of all three, the trustees decided to appoint Mishra as the first CEO.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
