When it comes to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the dream institution of lakhs of MBA aspirants in India, one question takes center stage every IIMs admission season: Do IIMs really promote merit-based quotas, or are they in favor of reservation quotas?
Every year many aspirants attempt the Common Admission Test (CAT), but only about 2% make it to the top IIMs. The selection process is tiring, including CAT percentile, past academics, work experience, diversity factors, and performance in WAT-PI rounds. However, what often becomes the heated discussions is the reservation policy – a system that allots a percentage of seats to candidates from categories, i.e., SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD. Let’s discuss this complex issue, layer by layer, to understand whether IIM truly represents “pure merit” or if reservation quotas are shaping these elite campuses.
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IIM Admission Structure
Before diving directly into opinions of pure merit or reservation quotes, let’s know how IIM admission actually works.
- CAT Percentile and Eligibility
CAT scores are considered as the first major filter during IIM admissions. Candidates must clear the minimum sectional and overall cut-offs (which vary based on category) to appear for the next rounds, i.e., WAT and PI.
Here’s a breakdown of CAT percentile cut-offs (for top IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta).
| Category | Overall CAT Percentile (Approx.) | Sectional Cut-offs |
| General | 98-99 | 80+ |
| NC-OBC | 94-96 | 70+ |
| EWS | 94-96 | 70+ |
| SC | 80-85 | 60+ |
| ST | 70-75 | 50+ |
| PwD | 70-75 | 50+ |
The above table depicts that the entry bar is lower for reserved categories. While a general category aspirant may need 99 percentile to get a call from top-tier IIMs, a candidate from an ST background may get shortlisted at 75 percentile.
- Weightage of Academics, Diversity, and Work Experience
Most of the IIMs don’t just look at the CAT scores. They use a composite score, which includes academics, diversity factor, and work experience.
| Factors | Weightage |
| CAT Score | 40-60% |
| Class 10th Marks | 10-15% |
| Class 12th Marks | 10-15% |
| Graduation Marks | 5-10% |
| Academics/Gender Diversity | 2-10% |
| Work Experience | 5-10% |
| WAT-PI Performance | 20-30% |
From the table above, it’s clearly visible that IIMs try to ensure they don’t give admissions to just “test-takers” but well-rounded individuals.
- Reservation Quotas
As per the Government of India norms, the reservation structure of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) is mentioned below.
| Category | Reservation |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| NC-OBC | 27% |
| EWS | 10% |
| PwD | 5% |
The table above shows that out of 100 seats at IIMs, only around 40-45 are actually open for the general (unreserved) category.
The Case of Pure Merit
Many critics argue that IIMs should represent pure meritocracy, where each candidate competes on equal footing, and only the highest scorer gets admission into the IIMs. The arguments of critics are discussed below:
- CAT is a Level Playing Field: CAT is an online test with objective evaluation, which leaves little place for bias. If admissions were solely based on CAT scores, the process would be purely merit-based.
- Quality Concerns: Some critics argue that lowering cut-offs for reserved categories brings down the quality of the classroom. When a 75 percentiler student sits alongside 99 percentilers, there are chances of a gap in classroom quality.
- Global Standards: The top globally recognized B-schools, like Harvard and Wharton, give admission to students based on their overall profiles, not on the basis of reservation percentages. Critics believe that IIM should follow merit-based admissions to compete globally and mark an impression of being fair.
- Meritocracy Promotes Excellence: Merit-based selection motivates students to work hard and achieve their long-term goal, while reservation is considered as a shortcut that undermines efforts.
The Case of Reservation Quota
On the other hand, those who support reservation argue that giving reservation does not mean charity but leveling the playing field for historically marginalized communities.
- Historical Disadvantage: Many students from SC, ST, and OBC categories come from economically backward places, rural areas, and underfunded schools and have gone through educational backwardness. Some critics argue that expecting them to compete with privileged urban candidates at the same level is unfair.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Classrooms benefit from diverse perspectives. IIMs’ classrooms having students from different regions, castes, and economic backgrounds enriches peer learning, which is valued globally by business schools.
- Beyond CAT Scores: A high CAT percentile doesn’t mean that you have gained managerial excellence. Leadership potential, resilience, and life experience also matter, and such qualities are ones that reserved category candidates can bring to the campus.
- Bridging Socio-Economic Gaps: Reservation policies have helped many students to break the cycle of poverty and rise to many leadership positions. Without them, elite education would remain a privilege of the rich.
What Do Top IIMs Actually Promote?
The IIMs claim to promote “inclusive meritocracy,” and this is where things get interesting.
- IIMs do not deny that reservations exist, but they also maintain minimum academic standards (sectional cut-offs, composite scores) for every category.
- Their weighting structure shows that they care about holistic candidates, not just test scores.
- Over the years, the gap in performance between reserved and general category students has reduced because of access to coaching, better awareness, and government schemes.
Interestingly, some IIM directors have publicly stated that they cannot compromise on classroom quality, which is why even for reserved seats, there are minimum qualifying criteria to be followed.
IIMs are doing a delicate balancing act. They cannot ignore the deep rooted inequities in Indian societies, but they also cannot turn into institutions where meritocracy is completely sidelined. Pure meritocracy sounds ideal but works only when everyone starts from the same starting line—which is far from true in India. At the same time, reservations should not become a permanent solution. The ultimate goal must be to reach a place where all students from different backgrounds compete without the need for quotas.
In the short term, IIMs must continue with reservations but also invest heavily in bridging socio-economic programs, remedial classes, and mentorship for reserved category students.
In the long term, the government should work towards improving primary and secondary education, so that the next generation does not need to be treated specially to reach to the top.
Conclusion
So do IIMs promote pure merit or reservation quota? The answer lies somewhere in between. They promote inclusive meritocracy—a model where academic excellence meets social justice. While the debate will continue, one thing will remain certain: the goal should not be to create managers with high IQs but leaders with empathy, diversity of thought, and the ability to change in the society.
Reservations may not be perfect, but it has helped democratize access to India’s premier management education. The challenge now is to ensure merit and reservation go hand in hand building the future where every aspirant competes globally at an equal place, not because of the policy but because the system is fair.
