Thiruvananthapuram: For the first time, the Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB) is planning to appoint 54 non-Brahmin priests including seven priests belonging to the Scheduled Castes. The Devaswom Recruitment Board has prepared the rank list of priests after conducting an OMR test and interview in PSC model.

Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran has made it clear that the rank list was prepared considering the qualification and reservation of candidates and without giving way for corruption.

70 priests are to be appointed as per the recommendation. 31 among the 54 candidates from backward communities were included in the merit rank list. Devaswom Recruitment Board Chairman M. Rajagopalan Nair informed that 16 priests were qualified from forward communities.

27 out of the 34 candidates from Ezhava community were qualified. Two of the seven OBC candidates, two of the four candidates from Dheevara community and one candidate from Hindu Nadar and Viswakarma communities each were also included in the list.

Earlier, Travancore Devaswom Board had appointed 36 non-Brahmin priests including 6 Dalit priests.