IIM Reservation Policy: IIMs are top business schools in India. It draws lakhs of CAT aspirants for MBA admissions every year. IIM follows a reservation policy that offers a certain percentage of seats to reserved categories. This has raised many questions over the years. Many individuals support this policy, saying it promotes equality and inclusion. While several others say that it has sidelined merit. The answer to this question is not that straightforward. The need for opportunity cannot be ignored, and neither can the efforts of aspirants aiming for high scores. The IIM reservation policy is applied in every stage of the MBA admission process. After the result is out, each IIM releases the CAT percentile cut-off for all categories to shortlist candidates for further admission process. Post the PI and WAT round, the institutes also release the category-wise merit list based on the composite score for final selection. In this article, we have shared the perspective of both CAT aspirants from different backgrounds and industry professionals to find out whether the IIM reservation policy overlooks merit.
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Understanding the IIM Reservation Policy
The IIM adheres to the reservation guidelines prescribed by the Government of India.
- Scheduled Caste (SC): 15%
- Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5%
- Other Backward Classes candidates belonging to the “Non-Creamy” layer (NC-OBC): 27%
- Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10%
- Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD): 5%
This implies that approximately 35-40% of total seats are reserved for the General Category. Many CAT aspirants and industry experts support this policy to bring social justice and equality. While many argue that this move put additional pressure on the meritorious candidates from the General category.
Is IIM Reservation Policy Overlooking the Merit of CAT Aspirants?
Let’s hear what CAT aspirants and industry experts have to say on the IIM Reservation Policy.
Wizard of Quants – Indrajeet Singh; CEO and Founder
We also asked for the opinion of our CEO and Founder – Indrajeet Singh. He was against the reservation policy. Citing an example he said that in 2013 a candidate from a general category converted IIM Ahmedabad and in that year the at 55%ile the CAT score was 0. This means that the candidate even with a negative percentile converted IIM Ahmedabad which is India’s top management institute. IIM Ahmedabad has an acceptance rate of approximately 0.15%. Adding to this he said that the reservation policy is beneficial for the short term but in the long run this will negatively impact the candidates who belong to the reserved category. By setting a lower cutoff for the reserved category there is a hidden message that is being ignored that ‘you don’t have to aim high’. The reserved category candidates will never aim for a higher percentile and this will be a hindrance in realising their full potential. They will never get motivated to score more. Long term they will never be able to grow in long term
Yogesh Joshi – IPMAT Faculty
Another faculty member Yogesh Joshi said that the right to education in our country itself is very contradictory as the government is indirectly demotivating reserved candidates to be highly competitive by setting lower cutoffs. Reservation in jobs is fine but it should not be given for admission to the college. This simply kills the spirit of meritocracy. There have been cases where some candidates even fail to convert top colleges after getting 99.9 percentile. What does this mean? Well it simply means that a person with a higher caliber and potential and even after becoming a topper cannot get admission to a top college just because he belongs to a general category. He also explained the perspective of working professionals who aim to do an MBA for their career growth. A candidate who is academically proficient, has a good work experience and has a good career and then to grow further decides to do an MBA. But irrespective of getting checklisted on all these points he is denied admission just because he is not from the reserved category. Is this what the path to career advancement looks like? The entire concept of growth becomes questionable here! Well the government really needs to think upon this!
Anushka, IIM Vizag Alumna
The IIM reservation policy is about giving fair opportunities to those who have been historically left behind. Many students from reserved categories grow up facing challenges like poor schooling, financial stress, and limited access to resources that others often take for granted. These students are just as capable, but they haven’t always had the same support or exposure. Reservation helps bridge that gap — not by giving them a free pass, but by recognizing their potential and the extra effort it takes to reach the same place. It creates a more balanced and diverse classroom where different perspectives are valued, and where everyone gets a chance to grow, compete, and succeed on more equal terms. In my college , many people who belong from very poor backgrounds got the opportunity to study in IIM because of reservation and they genuinely deserve it . So yes, reservation is somewhere right on this aspect.
Varnu Nath, CAT 86 Percentiler
I support the IIM reservation policy as it helps students from underprivileged backgrounds access quality education. However, I believe all reserved categories, including SC/ST, should have an income limit like OBC and EWS. Without this, affluent families continue to benefit unfairly across generations. The system should include annual income verification to ensure support reaches those who truly need it. Also, more awareness is needed so eligible students under OBC and EWS don’t miss out on their rights.
CAT Aspirant 1- 98 Percentile, General Category
The CAT aspirants state that “I scored 98 percentile in CAT but did not receive a call from some of the preferred IIMs.” “Meanwhile, I know someone from an SC category who received a call from top IIMs with just 92 percentile.
This CAT aspirant was not against the IIM reservation policy but strongly supported the fair academic competitiveness. According to him, “I agree social backwardness requires attention and inclusion, but reducing cutoffs so drastically can negatively affect the meritorious students from the general category.”
CAT Aspirant 2- OBC-NCL- 93 Percentile
This CAT aspirant, who belongs to the OBC-NCL category, has a different perspective:
She shared, “Reservation provided me with a fair opportunity to compete. I did not have access to the top coaching institute or expensive study materials. I cannot afford them. There was less chance for me to get into the top IIMs without a reservation. She agrees that the gap in cutoff can be frustrating, but argues that the chance it gave to people like her was very much required.
CAT Aspirant 3- EWS, 98 Percentile
These CAT aspirants belong to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). He states that “Even after securing more than 98 percentile, I could not get admission to my preferred IIM”. “EWS reservation is just 10%, and the competition is very high.” He argues that many general category aspirants are not privileged, and they should get more relaxations. As per this CAT aspirant, the current system should understand the reality of the financial struggles.
CAT Aspirant 4
One of a CAT aspirant who belonged to the General category said that – I got a 99.5 percentile and had a 998 profile yet did not get a call from BLACKI or FMS but one friend of mine who was from a reserved category got into a top IIM with just 93 percentile and his profile was also not strong. This is so demotivating and clearly depicts how reservation is overshadowing the merit
Industry Expert 1- HR Head, FinTech Firm
As per one of the industry experts, “We don’t consider how students got IIM, we see how they made it through.” “The market is completely performance-based. Once you secure your place, only your intelligence and performance matter”. She supports the IIM reservation policy but suggests that IIMs must ensure everyone, irrespective of their category, fulfils the basic academic requirements.
Industry Expert 2: Education Consultant & Career Coach
As per this industry expert, the real problem is the education system before IIMs. He states that “We require better schools, fairer board exams, and equal access to books and study materials. Inequality is already at its peak by the time students aspire for the CAT exam. He says that there must be a shift from caste-based to need-based reservations. He feels that India’s education models need a revamp.
IIM Reservation Policy 2025: What Does Data Say?
The minimum requirements of the CAT-2024 percentile for the first shortlist of top IIMs is shared below for the candidate’s reference.
IIM Ahmedabad CAT Qualifying Percentile
| Category | Overall percentile (PT) |
| General/ EWS | 80 |
| NC-OBC /Transgender | 75 |
| SC | 70 |
| ST | 60 |
| PwD (in General/ EWS/ NC-OBC/ Transgender/ SC) | 70 |
| PwD (in ST) | 60 |
IIM Bangalore CAT Percentile – Minimum Qualifying Cutoff
| Category | Overall Percentile |
| General | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 75 |
| EWS | 75 |
| SC | 70 |
| ST | 65 |
| PWD | 60 |
IIM Calcutta CAT 2024 Percentile
| Category | Overall Percentile |
| OPEN | ≥85 |
| EWS | ≥75 |
| NC-OBC | ≥75 |
| SC | ≥70 |
| ST | ≥65 |
| PwD | ≥55 |
IIM Reservation Policy vs. Merit: How to Achieve a Balanced Approach
The debate on the IIM Reservation Policy is based on both personal experiences and socio-political aspects. Many CAT aspirants and industry experts agree on a few middle grounds. Some of them are listed below:
- The minimum CAT percentile for all the categories must be increased to maintain basic academic standards.
- Category must not be the only deciding factor for the reservation. The criteria should include economic status, medium of schooling, parental education, etc.
- The total number of seats in each IIM must be increased for equal opportunities.
- Focus on improving the education system at both the school and college levels to reduce the gap.
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FAQs
As per the reservation policies, 15% of the seats are reserved for SC, 7.5% for ST, 27% for NC-OBC, up to 10% for EWS and 5% for PwD.
IIM Ahmedabad is among the institutes that had the lowest CAT 2024 cutoff percentile for the general category, which was 70 percentile rank or above in each section and 80 percentile rank overall.