IIMA to implement reservation in PhD intake starting 2025

Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has announced its decision to implement the government-mandated reservation policy in its PhD admissions starting in 2025, addressing a long-standing demand from the Global IIM Alumni Network.

This will mark the first time the institution applies quotas for SCs, STs, OBCs, and persons with disabilities in its doctoral programme, which began in 1971.

The online applications for IIMA’s doctoral programmes, which opened on September 19 and will be accepted until January 20, now include a clause stating that “Government of India guidelines for reservation are followed during admission.”

IIMA is the last of the 20 IIMs to implement such reservations. In 2021, Anil Wagde, a member of the Global IIM Alumni Network, filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking reservations in IIMA’s PhD programmes.

The petition argued that the lack of reservations in IIMA’s PhD programme was a violation of constitutional provisions, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, and University Grants Commission norms. It also pointed out that 15 out of 20 IIMs already offer reservations in similar programmes. In response, IIM-A submitted an affidavit in October 2023, indicating that it would implement the policy for the 2025 intake.

Wagde welcomed the announcement as a significant victory, expressing hope that IIM-A will follow through on its commitment. “We will closely monitor the process and seek admission details once it concludes.”

IIM-A has yet to provide specifics on how it will implement the reservation policy. DeshGujarat