Quota in PhD admissions at IIMA: A change in stance over time

What is the case

The clause mentioned successful the online applications comes successful the aftermath of a nationalist involvement litigation (PIL) moved successful 2021 by Anil Wagde, a subordinate of the Global IIM Alumni Network, an relation of IIM graduates, seeking implementation of preservation successful IIMA’s PhD programmes.

These were earlier known astatine IIMA arsenic the Fellow Programme successful Management (FPM). The online applications, which opened September 19, volition beryllium accepted till January 20.

“IIM-A was 1 of the past institutes erstwhile it came to implementing preservation successful PhD courses. Lack of preservation successful PhD courses is resulting successful abysmal practice successful the IIM faculty,” the IIM graduates relation stated connected Tuesday. “We impulse the IIM-A to travel it successful spirit. There is not a azygous SC, ST, OBC module astatine IIMA. Last checked, determination was lone 1 Muslim module subordinate recruited recently…” the relation added.

The PIL submitted that not providing preservation successful the PhD programme, which commenced successful 1971, amounted to “gross violation” of law provisions, Central Educational Institutions (Reservation successful Admission) Act and the University Grants Commission’s guidelines.

Why IIMA opposed it

The institute opposed preservation for its PhD programme underlining that it is simply a “super-specialised programme”, and neither the Constitution of India nor immoderate different instrumentality envisages preservation for courses oregon programmes astatine precocious levels of specialisation. One of the reasons besides stated was that the intake successful the programme was low.

In an affidavit filed successful the Gujarat High Court successful November 2022, opposing the PIL, IIMA had said that the instrumentality does not mandate immoderate preservation astatine “such high-level specialisation programmes,” and immoderate specified preservation “could beryllium counterproductive and mightiness besides pb to injustice to different eligible meritorious students”.

“Operational freedom” is an integral portion of the “DNA of IIMA” and that determination is “no illegality oregon breach of the provisions of the Constitution of India oregon different statutes…in not providing preservation successful the PhD programme,” the premier absorption institute further submitted.

It has besides challenged the PIL stating that IIMA continues to beryllium an autonomous and autarkic institute without immoderate backing from the authorities contempt being a statutory organisation nether the IIM Act, 2017.

The IIM Act of 2017, notified connected January 11, 2018, declared IIMA and different IIMs arsenic the “institutes of nationalist importance”, and that each IIM “is separate, autarkic and autonomous assemblage corporates”.

IIMA had besides stated preservation ‘benefits’ a campaigner gets till he/she reached the probe level. “Even the candidates from reserved category, by the clip they scope the signifier of applying for the PhD programmes, would person had the payment of preservation argumentation astatine graduation and station graduation level courses,” the affidavit added.

Smaller fig of seats for PhD programmes on with nary fixed fig of PhD seats was besides cited arsenic 1 of the reasons for opposing the reservation.

The alteration successful stance

On September 28,2023, IIMA said it has “voluntarily taken a determination to supply for reservations successful the PhD programme also.”

The affidavit stated that the IIM had decided to supply specified preservation adjacent though “as specified successful law, determination is nary requirement” for it to bash so, the PhD programmes being super-specialised ones.

Implementation: an uphill task

The IIMA besides stated that it was facing an “uphill task” successful figuring retired a methodology to guarantee that the preservation would pb to “no favoritism to anybody”. The institute besides stated that “a champion suitable methodology is apt to instrumentality immoderate time” and that “appropriate reservations volition beryllium provided successful owed course”, without specifying a timeline.

The affidavit filed done its Chief Administrative Officer Colonel Amit Verma said that an interior committee of module members would beryllium formed to enactment retired the methodology.

“Considering the peculiar circumstances and the agelong prevailing signifier wherever connected an mean 2 to 3 students are admitted successful each country of PhD programmes, the committee is facing an uphill task to supply a due methodology. It is the endeavour of IIMA that portion providing preservation determination is nary favoritism to anybody,” stated the affidavit.

Following this, IIMA successful an oral submission successful October 2023, informed the Court that it would  instrumentality preservation of seats for  SC, ST, OBC and  PWD  successful the world twelvemonth starting 2025, which was frankincense announced successful the online admission process.

PhD options astatine IIMA

IIMA offers doctoral specialisation successful economics, concern and accounting, nutrient and agri business, quality assets management, accusation systems, innovation and absorption successful education, marketing, operations and determination sciences, organisational behaviour, nationalist systems and strategy. Candidates applying to these Doctoral Programme successful Management are required to instrumentality the Common Admission Test (CAT) oregon a modular trial successful lieu of CAT, depending connected the specialisation.