IIM Ahmedabad Announces Reservation In PhD Admissions From 2025 As Per 'Govt Guidelines'

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has stated that it will introduce reservation in its PhD admissions beginning in 2025, in accordance with Government of India guidelines. However, the institute has not yet shared detailed information on how the reservation policy will be applied.

The development follows IIMA’s earlier communication to the Gujarat High Court, where the institute indicated that it was considering implementing reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and persons with disabilities in its doctoral programmes from 2025 onward.

This response was submitted in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2021 by Anil Wagde, a member of the Global IIM Alumni Network. In the petition, Wagde argued that the absence of reservation in PhD admissions was inconsistent with constitutional provisions, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, and the norms laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Further confirmation of the policy shift appeared in IIMA’s official announcement regarding PhD Admissions 2025 on its website. The notice stated that admissions would follow the Government of India’s reservation guidelines, signaling the introduction of quota provisions for eligible categories from the upcoming admission cycle.