Supreme Court to finally hear Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board appeal on power of appointment in Guruvayoor Devaswom on March 10

The Supreme Court posted an appeal filed by the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB) against a State High Court decision to strike down provisions which empowered it to appoint candidates to various posts in the Guruvayoor Devaswom and aided educational institutions on March 10 for final hearing.

A Bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath recorded an assurance given by KDRB, represented by senior advocate V. Giri, who on the instruction of advocate-on-record G. Prakash, to not make any selections in the interregnum. Advocate Mukund P. Unny, for canddiates, said thousands had written the exam and were now “caught in the cross-fire”.

The KDRB has sought a stay of the High Court decision while submitting that its functions were limited to affairs of recruitment and did not intervene in the religious duties concerning temples.

The High Court had directed that proceedings relating to the appointment or selection of candidates to posts must be done as per the Guruvayoor Devaswom Act, 1978. The High Court direction had come on an appeal filed by the Guruvayur Devaswom Employees Union Congress and others, challenging the relevant provisions of the KDRB Act.

The court had quashed the notification issued by the KDRB inviting applications for various posts and added that the KDRB should not in future conduct any selection proceedings for appointments to these posts.

In addition, the managing committee of Guruvayur Devaswom was directed to initiate the appointment process afresh, while a special committee would supervise and control the entire process. The committee headed by retired judge of the Kerala High Court, Justice P.N. Ravindran, would have a one-year tenure.