IIT alumnus Jagdish Aphale appointed secretary of Ayodhya Ram Temple trust
Jagdish Aphale, an IIT alumnus and RSS associate, has been appointed secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, overseeing daily administration. This appointment follows recent controversies, including embezzlement reports and resignations of other trust members, and comes after Aphale previously served as honorary project manager for the temple construction.
Why it matters
This appointment is significant for the administration of the high-profile Ayodhya Ram Temple, especially given recent corruption allegations and the resignations of previous trust members, indicating an effort to stabilize leadership.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed Jagdish Aphale as the secretary to oversee the daily administration, sources said. The appointment will be formally sanctioned at the trust’s executive meeting on September 2, 2026.
A resident of Pune, Mr. Aphale is associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering and an MTech from IIT Bombay. He has been employed by various multinational corporations, including roles in Europe and the United States, before returning to India post-retirement.
After the 2019 Supreme Court ruling on the Ram Temple dispute and the commencement of the temple construction, he was appointed as the honorary project manager. Since then, he has been residing at the Teerth Kshetra Bhavan in Ayodhya.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in