IIM Ahmedabad to Implement Quota for PhD Admissions Starting 2025
Starting in 2025, IIM Ahmedabad will introduce a quota system for PhD admissions, aiming to promote greater diversity and inclusion in its doctoral programs.
IIM Ahmedabad
IIM Ahmedabad has announced the adoption of the government-mandated reservation policy for its PhD admissions, marking a significant departure from its previous approach of not reserving seats for underrepresented communities in its Fellow Programme in Management since its inception in 1971.
In an online statement for the PhD program, the institute confirmed, “Govt of India guidelines for reservation are followed during admissions.” This historic decision follows persistent advocacy by SC/ST activists and a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Global IIM Alumni Network in the Gujarat High Court in 2021, which sought to enforce reservation policies at IIM Ahmedabad. The move brings the institution in line with 10 other IIMs that had already implemented similar quotas in their doctoral programs.
In response to the PIL, IIM Ahmedabad submitted an affidavit in October 2023, confirming its plan to implement the reservation policy starting with the 2025 intake. Until now, the prestigious B-school had refrained from applying reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in its research programs.
As per the Central Educational Institution (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, central government institutions are required to reserve 15 percent of seats for SCs, 7.5 percent for STs, and 27 percent for OBCs. Additionally, a 10 percent quota for EWS was introduced for admissions and jobs through separate legislation.
The most recent advertisement for IIM Ahmedabad's PhD admissions notes that “candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in the CAT or an equivalent standard test, academic background, and experience. IIMA may conduct online or in-person interviews, subject to health advisories at the time. Admission interviews are expected to be held in March-April 2025.
Anil Wagde, a founding member of the Global IIM Alumni Network, pointed out that IIM Ahmedabad was the last among the IIMs to adopt reservations in its PhD program. He criticised the institution's previous inaction, calling it unjustifiable, and stressed that the fight would continue until IIM Ahmedabad implements reservations in faculty recruitment as well.
