Dr Nirmala Yadav has become the first woman trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. She plans to improve darshan, safety and facilities for women devotees visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Dr Nirmala Yadav has become the first woman appointed to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The educationist said she regarded her selection as God’s will and promised to carry out her responsibilities with dedication, honesty and respect for the sentiments of devotees.

Yadav said one of her priorities would be improving the darshan experience for women visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya. She plans to prepare a special action plan addressing administration, facilities, safety and other requirements affecting women devotees.

The trust appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as its first chief executive officer and inducted three new trustees: Nirmala Yadav, advocate Madan Mohan Pandey and businessman and social worker Mahesh Bhagchandka.

The appointments filled vacancies created following the death of Bimlendra Mohan Mishra and the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and Anil Mishra after a donation theft controversy.

Yadav said she had neither applied for the position nor received any advance indication about her selection. She was informed on Wednesday afternoon that her name had been proposed and was asked to provide her consent. After agreeing, she participated in the trust meeting through video conference.

Describing her appointment as a representation of “Maatri Shakti,” or women’s power, Yadav said she felt blessed to have been chosen from across the country. She rejected speculation that her induction was connected to the 2027 elections and said she did not consider the decision politically motivated.

Speaking in Firozabad, Yadav said she would formulate an action plan to make darshan more convenient for women devotees. She intends to offer recommendations covering temple administration, visitor arrangements, security and facilities wherever improvements are possible.

Yadav said maintaining the dignity and glory of Lord Ram would remain central to her work. She stressed that the feelings of all devotees should be respected and said any shortcomings in the trust’s functioning could be addressed through discussions among members.

Her appointment gives women formal representation within the trust responsible for managing the Ram temple and related affairs. Her stated focus on women pilgrims could bring greater attention to queues, sanitation, safety, accessibility and support services at the religious complex.

A former college principal, Yadav has worked with educational and social organisations for several decades. She joined BDM Municipal Girls’ College in Shikohabad as a lecturer in 1987 and became its principal in 1999.

In 2006, she was appointed principal of Mahatma Gandhi PG College in Firozabad, where she served until her retirement in 2022. She has also been associated with Saraswati Shishu Mandirs and the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh.

Yadav served as vice president and later as the organisation’s state president from 2019 to 2022. She currently works with its council and holds the responsibility of all-India Sah Sampark Pramukh. She previously served for two years as a governor-nominated member of the executive council of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Agra.

Yadav said her family became associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after her marriage in 1983. She added that she would now dedicate herself fully to the responsibilities given to her by the temple trust and work to improve the experience of devotees, particularly women.