On January 1, 2025, Ministry of Defence came up with nine key reforms in the defence sector in India. One of the key reforms was to seek leverage of armed forces veterans’ expertise in nation-building. On September 2, Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra (Retired) was appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. This trust manages the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the trust created the CEO post as part of a major administrative overhaul.
As CEO, he will be the highest executive authority for all the staff and functionaries of the Ram Mandir and Ram Janmabhoomi complex. He will be based in Ayodhya with an initial 3-year term.
As a military veteran, it gives me immense pride that Air Marshal Mishra was found most suitable candidate among the 5585 applicants. The selection process was most rigourous and 16 best candidates were interviewed in person on August 11-12. Finally, from a panel of three, Air Marshal Mishra was nominated as the first CEO. The credentials of Air Marshal Mishra during his military career are impeccable, with the crowning glory of Operation Sindoor under his watch as the Air Officer Commanding-in Chief of Western Air Command.
With 39 years of glorious military service, he is a proven warrior (awarded Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal, nation’s highest decoration for wartime distinguished service). He now has been entrusted with the job of an administrator of a most important trust. Keeping aside some absurd political comments about his appointment, it is important to understand as to how the armed forces shape an astute administrator inside a warrior.
The military career of an armed forces officer, particularly those who rise to the rank of Lt General or Air Marshal or Vice Admiral (all three-star ranks) can be roughly divided into two halves. The total career span is of 38-39 years and first half of 19-20 years comprises of intense military service. The focus here is on soldiering, mastering your weapon platforms and command of soldiers in active combat. At about 19-20 years of service, the officers are in the rank of Colonel or Group Captain or Captain (IN) and the officers are exposed to all the theatres/borders where they are expected to fight a war.
After about 24-25 years of service, only selected officers attain one-star rank (Brigadier or equivalent). Thereafter, the selection becomes even more stringent, with very few becoming two-star or three-star generals or equivalent. Having come through such an intense selection process to rise to the coveted appointment of AOC-in-C is no mean achievement. But the officers are exposed to a variety of administrative, financial and logistics responsibilities after roughly 20 years of services.
It is not that the combat responsibilities take a backseat but selected officers are groomed in various facets of specialisation, be it Human Resource Management, financial planning, infrastructure expertise, managing large logistics hubs, IT & AI, security setup, health & hygiene etc. In short, the officers who have to take up senior positions in the armed forces are put through an experience of systems, procedures and operational practices appropriate to the forces dynamic requirements. In addition, the armed forces have the reputation of conducting best managed mega events on behalf of the nation. Therefore, a senior officer of our armed forces are well-rounded personalities who are equally capable of an executive responsibility.
A close scrutiny of the duties of the CEO of Ram Mandir trust would be in order as to how Air Marshal Mishra is the most qualified person to be the first holder of the appointment. The day-to-day administration of the 70-acre Ram Janmabhoomi complex and pilgrim management will be his first priority. With his vast experience, he is most-suited to ensure crowd management, foolproof security and infrastructure development, particularly to facilitate visitors’ amenities. His military career has taught him the best financial planning and accounting methodology. The armed forces also follow a strict stock-taking of the assets and thus there will be total transparency in donations and other financial transactions.
Like a true warrior, Air Marshal Mishra wasted no time and was in Ayodhya on September 3 to attend the first meeting of the trust. He formally assumed charge as the CEO on September 4. He is holding meeting with the trust members, office bearers and employees to understand the nuances of the job. He has the reputation of a strict administrator but is easily accessible to his subordinates. The proven warrior Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra is now the most suitable administrator for the most revered Ram Mandir. In my opinion, the distinguished veteran has been assigned a well-deserved role in the nation-building exercise.
In the new assigned task, he once again is going to prove himself Sarvottam (the very best) with the blessings of Bhagwan Ram.
