Minimum CAT percentile for ST candidates at IIM-A stands at 38.34%
In what may have impacted the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A)'s quality of students in admissions, the premier B-school is learnt to have admitted ST students at minimum percentile of as low as 38.34%.
In its recent response to an RTI application, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has reportedly stated that the minimum Common Admission Test (CAT) percentile at which Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, both male and female, were admitted fell to 38.34% for the 2013-15 batch.
Apparently, out of the 172,000 CAT takers in 2013, roughly 95,000 scored zero due to either negative marking or by not attempting questions. This had led to a severe drop in high percentile scoring candidates, leaving the IIMs, especially IIM-A with lesser options to fill the quota reservation and still maintain their quality.
An emailed query to IIM-A remained unanswered till the time of this story going in print. However, a senior faculty member on condition of anonymity said, "As an institute we have to follow the quota implementation in admissions. And though some of the candidates may have scored low in CAT, they had proved themselves in the interview process as well as through their past records. Which is why the institute had decided at that time to admit them."
Rohit Kapoor, CAT 2013 Convenor could not be reached despite several attempts.
As per the RTI response, the minimum CAT percentile for ST students has fallen from 83% for 2010-12 batch to 80% (2011-13) and 60% (2012-14) and to finally 38.34% (2013-15).
"Implementation of OBC quota has created much higher variation in the level of prior preparedness in the batches for the PGP. This has created difficulty for faculty to manage the academic process. As a result, the quality of the programme is likely to decline over time. The ideal solution would be to offer the programme on the basis of required credits, to be completed by a student at a pace he/she is comfortable with and not on the basis of rigid time schedule as it is offered today," a senior faculty member at IIM-A had told Business Standard earlier.
It needs to be mentioned here that in 2008 the MHRD has mandated the IIMs to grant 15% of their seats to students of Scheduled Casts, 7.5% to Scheduled Tribes, and 27% to Other Backward Classes (OBC).
In its recent response to an RTI application, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has reportedly stated that the minimum Common Admission Test (CAT) percentile at which Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, both male and female, were admitted fell to 38.34% for the 2013-15 batch.
Apparently, out of the 172,000 CAT takers in 2013, roughly 95,000 scored zero due to either negative marking or by not attempting questions. This had led to a severe drop in high percentile scoring candidates, leaving the IIMs, especially IIM-A with lesser options to fill the quota reservation and still maintain their quality.
An emailed query to IIM-A remained unanswered till the time of this story going in print. However, a senior faculty member on condition of anonymity said, "As an institute we have to follow the quota implementation in admissions. And though some of the candidates may have scored low in CAT, they had proved themselves in the interview process as well as through their past records. Which is why the institute had decided at that time to admit them."
Rohit Kapoor, CAT 2013 Convenor could not be reached despite several attempts.
As per the RTI response, the minimum CAT percentile for ST students has fallen from 83% for 2010-12 batch to 80% (2011-13) and 60% (2012-14) and to finally 38.34% (2013-15).
"Implementation of OBC quota has created much higher variation in the level of prior preparedness in the batches for the PGP. This has created difficulty for faculty to manage the academic process. As a result, the quality of the programme is likely to decline over time. The ideal solution would be to offer the programme on the basis of required credits, to be completed by a student at a pace he/she is comfortable with and not on the basis of rigid time schedule as it is offered today," a senior faculty member at IIM-A had told Business Standard earlier.
It needs to be mentioned here that in 2008 the MHRD has mandated the IIMs to grant 15% of their seats to students of Scheduled Casts, 7.5% to Scheduled Tribes, and 27% to Other Backward Classes (OBC).
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