Ram Temple Trust says Mishra attended CEO interview, refuting claims

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has formally stated that retired Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra participated in the interview for its chief executive officer position on August 11, 2026, refuting claims that he skipped the final selection round. The Trust's clarification came after a controversy sparked by remarks from a former candidate, which the Trust described as misinformation. The Trust's general secretary, Swami Govind Dev Giri, detailed the selection process in a statement. A search committee formed on July 6, 2026, received 5,585 applications. After a multi-tier evaluation involving AI-assisted screening and manual assessment across Delhi NCR, Pune, and Sambalpur, 16 finalists were shortlisted. These candidates participated in face-to-face interviews in Ayodhya on August 11 and 12, 2026. "Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra participated in the interview process on 11 August 2026, in the first half," the Trust's statement said. The committee submitted its final report on September 1, recommending three candidates: Mishra, Sanjay Pratapsinh Vishwas Rao, and Shruti Bharadwaj. Mishra was appointed the Trust's first CEO on September 2.