Air Marshal (Retired) Jeetendra Mishra has been named the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Ram Temple Trust. The former Indian Air Force officer was the chief of the Western Command during Operation Sindoor.
Mishra, who was selected from a list of over 5,000 applicants, will oversee the temple's operational and administrative affairs. His appointment comes after the trust was hit by a scandal involving alleged donation theft earlier this year.
Who Is Jeetendra Mishra?
Mishra is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Pune, the Air Force Test Pilots School in Bengaluru, and the Air Command and Staff College in the US. He also studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.
He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in December 1986.
Mishra retired in May 2026 after a 38-year career.
ALSO READ | Ram Temple Trust Appoints Former Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra As CEO
According to the linked profile, Mishra was the Commanding Officer of a MiG-21 squadron and held the post of Chief Test Pilot at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. He also served as the Deputy Chief of IDS (Doctrine, Organisation and Training) at the Integrated Defence Staff.
He has been conferred with honours, including the Vishisht Seva Medal. For his service to the nation, the retired Air Marshal was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal by the President this year.
Mishra's appointment is part of the structural changes made to the Ram Temple Trust following the donation theft case. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the matter so far. The temple trust's general secretary, Champat Rai, also resigned in the wake of the scandal.
The search panel for the CEO was headed by retired judge Pramod Kohli. Scientist Suresh Haware and retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi were also part of the panel.
Three new members have also been added to the trust: Madan Mohan Pandey, Mahesh Bhagchandka and Nirmala Yadav.
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