- Candidates for Ram Janmabhoomi Trust CEO are questioned on faith and administrative skills
- Interviews began for 18 shortlisted from 5,200 applicants, including ex-IAS and military officers
- Candidates faced queries on religious practices, crowd management, and leadership vision
Are you a hardline Hindu or simply a believer?
Do you wear a janeu (sacred thread)?
Do you drink alcohol and eat meat?
Can you manage crowds ranging from 20,000 to 5 lakh?
These are some of the questions being asked of aspirants for the post of CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Interviews for the 18 shortlisted candidates began on Tuesday at the temple complex and continued on Wednesday. According to sources, three former IAS officers, an ex-IPS officer, and four former military officers were among those interviewed on Tuesday.
Sources said candidates are being asked about their administrative skills, crowd management experience, and faith.
The candidates also faced questions about their religious practices and vision for the Ram temple.
The interviews, lasting 40 to 50 minutes each, included questions on the applicants' faith in Lord Ram and Hindu religious practices, including whether they sport a shikha (braid), wear a 'janeu' (sacred thread), and are pure vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the sources said.
Read | 'Displayed For Months, Then Removed': Ex Bureaucrat To NDTV On His Gift To Ram Temple
The candidates were also asked whether they consume liquor or are teetotalers, and whether they are "hardline Hindus" or simply believers. Questions were also asked about wearing attire in accordance with Hindu religious practices, they said.
According to sources, candidates were also asked about their leadership abilities, religious and social engagement, and their vision and work plan for the Ram temple.
The Trust decided to appoint a full-time chief executive officer (CEO) after alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations came to light.
Eighteen candidates were shortlisted from 5,200 applicants for the job. The 18 candidates also include former senior officials of temples in South India, according to sources.
A three-member selection committee set up by the Trust is interviewing the candidates. The panel comprises former Supreme Court judge Justice Pramod Kohli, Lt Gen Vishnukant Chaturvedi (retd), and Suresh Haware.
From the 18 applicants, the panel will shortlist three names for the Trust to make the final decision.
The Trust is likely to announce the new CEO at its September 2 meeting.
The allegations of embezzlement of Ram temple donations have led to scrutiny of the Trust's financial management. Eight accused have been arrested in the case, while three officials, including the Trust's former general secretary Champat Rai, have stepped down from their posts.
