CAT 2025 Reservation Policy for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD at IIMs

As per the CAT 2025 reservation policy for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD at IIMs, 15% of seats are reserved for students from the Scheduled Caste (SC), while 7.5% of seats are reserved for students from the Scheduled Tribe (ST). Candidates from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category who belong to the non-creamy layer have a reserve of 27%. Additionally, candidates from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category have a reservation of 10%. Candidates must note that there is no reservation quota specifically mentioned for dyslexics and NCC cadets. Candidates must be aware that IIMs will publish separate CAT 2025 cutoff lists for each category, after the CAT results 2025 , which will be released by the last week of December 2025, tentatively. The registration will be dismissed if the candidate fails to provide proof of their reservation category at any point during the selection process.

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Reservation Policy at IIMs

Top IIMs in India offer reservations to members of the underprivileged community, much like every other college in India. This is being done to support those with talent who lack the resources to finish their education. A candidate with a lower percentile can also be admitted into India's top business schools owing to the reservation policy.

However, candidates who are eligible for reservation under various categories must understand that fulfilling the reservation policy does not guarantee admission to IIMs. The candidates must have a prescribed CAT eligibility criteria 2025 along with the minimum level of performance in the CAT 2025 and subsequent rounds of the admission process. The reservation policies followed by IIMs are listed below:

• The IIMs reserve 15% of its seats for Scheduled Castes (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 27% for Other Backward Classes belonging to the "non-creamy" layer (NC-OBC). Candidates from the EWS category have a reservation of 10%.

• The only categories taken into consideration for reservation are those listed in the Central Government List on the final day of CAT 2025 registration .

• IIMs set aside 3% of the seats for Persons with Disabilities (PwD).

• The three types of disabilities that are taken into account for reservations are poor vision blindness, hearing impairment, and locomotor disability or cerebral palsy.

• Candidates who exhibit at least 40% of the above-mentioned disabilities will be considered for reservation.

  CAT Reservation Category

  The CAT Reservation category needs to be carefully selected by the candidates at the time of registration. No changes are allowed in the CAT reservation category after the final submission of the application form. For the purposes of the seats reserved in IIMs, the list of CAT reservation categories are:

• OBC
• SC
• ST
• EWS
• PwD

Category-Wise Reservation of Seats in IIMs

​ Also Read : IIM CAT Cut off

Note : Candidates who wish to seek admission as per the reservation policies must upload the category or disability certificate at the time of CAT registration.

IIM Reservation Criteria 2025

There are specific eligibility criteria for every Reserved category that you must fulfill. The key conditions include:

• If you belong to the SC/ST category, you must ensure your caste/tribe appears in the official Government list.
• If you are applying under the OBC category, you must belong to the non-creamy layer as per the central list.
• If you are applying under the EWS category, must provide valid income and asset certificates.
• In order to apply under the EWS category, you must have 40% or more benchmark disability as defined under the RPwD Act 2016.
• It is crucial that the certificates you furnish must be valid and uploaded at the time of CAT registration and presented again during the interview process.

IIM Reservation Policy 2025 for MBA

Given below are some important points pertaining to how reservation applies across the IIM MBA admission process.

• IIM Reservation is applicable at both the stages: shortlisting and final selection.
• If you have already selected one Category during CAT registration, you will not be allowed to change it later.
• Original certificates must be uploaded online and hard copies must be carried during interviews.
• Candidates belonging to the PwD category must obtain a Unique Disability ID (UDID) and provide medical documentation.

The basic eligibility criteria and mandatory documents required to become qualified for each reservation under CAT 2025 have been provided below.

Category	Documents Required	Additional Requirements
SC/ST	Caste certificate	Must match GoI schedule
OBC-NCL	OBC certificate	Must not be creamy layer
EWS	Income & Asset certificate	Issued by competent authority
PwD	Disability certificate & UDID	40%+ disability required

Category-wise MBA Seats at IIMs

Check the table below to know the number of seats for each category in the top B schools in India:

College	Total Seats	SC (15%)	ST (7.5%)	OBC-NCL (27%)	EWS (10%)	PwD (5%)	General (Unreserved)
IIM A	406	61	30	110	41	20	144
IIM B	585	88	44	158	58	29	208
IIM C	462	69	35	125	46	23	164
IIM L	490	74	37	132	49	24	174
IIM K	489	73	37	132	49	24	174
IIM I	486	73	36	131	49	24	173
IIM M	446	67	33	120	45	22	158
FMS	314	47	24	85	31	16	111

CAT Reservation Certificates 2025 PDF

Candidates must upload the category/ disability certificates in PDF format during the CAT application process 2025 if they wish to avail the benefits of category reservation.

Certificates & Forms Required for IIM Reservation 2025

All required documents for reservations in CAT 2025 are provided below. At the time of the interview, candidates must also present the original certificate in the specified format:

• SC-ST Certificate
• NC-OBC Certificate
• DA/PwD Certificate
• Format for Final Year Certificate
• Format for Candidate Identification Affidavit

Download the official CAT reservation certificates PDF from the table below.

Reservation Certificate	PDF Download Link
NC-OBC Certificate	Click Here
SC/ ST Certificate	Click Here
EWS Certificate	Click Here
Disability Certificate (PwD)- Form V	Click Here
Disability Certificate (PwD)- Form VI	Click Here
Disability Certificate (PwD)- Form VII	Click Here

Important Documents For Reservation in CAT Exam 2025

Candidates belonging to any of the categories among SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD who are aiming to avail themselves of the reservation benefits of the CAT exam must ensure they possess the following documents for the CAT exam 2025:

Documents Required	Description
SC/ST Reservation Certificate	Make sure that your caste/tribe is listed in the Government of India's schedule
Caste Certificate Details	Name of the caste/tribe, Identification as SC or ST, District and State/UT of residence, and Approval by the Government of India for SC or ST must be included in the certificate
Upload of Mandatory Certificates	Caste certificates (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD) must be uploaded during registration
Original Certificates	The original reservation certificate (with photocopy) must be carried by the candidates for the interview.
PwD Category	Candidates belonging to the Persons with Disabilities category are required to apply for a UDID card and upload it during registration
Scribe Facility	If availing of the scribe facility, candidates are required to download, fill, and upload the scribe affidavit during registration

CAT Reservation Fees 2025

Candidates are not required to pay any extra fee for CAT reservation in 2025. They must only pay the CAT registration fees depending on their categories. It is mandatory for the candidates to upload the necessary documents during registration to qualify for reservation in IIM.

Category	CAT Reservation Fees
OBC	INR 2400
EWS	INR 2400
SC	INR 1200
ST	INR 1200
PwD	INR 1200

CAT Reservation 2025 for SC/ ST Category

Candidates will find the CAT Reservation policy 2025 for SC/ST categories in the CAT official notification 2025. In CAT 2023, the reservation percentage for SC candidates was observed to be 15%, while it was 7.5% for ST candidates. However, only those candidates who meet the CAT 2025 eligibility criteria and cutoffs will become eligible for CAT reservation for the SC/ST category in IIMs in 2025. To avail themselves of the reservation benefits, candidates must keep their caste certificates along with other mandatory information handy.

Documents Required for CAT Reservation for SC/ ST

Candidates belonging to the SC/ ST category will have to submit the caste certificate along with some other documents. These documents must comprise some information provided below.

• Whether the candidate belongs to the Scheduled tribe or Scheduled caste category (Mention of caste clearly)
• Union Territory or District and the State of the ordinary residence
• Name of the belonging caste or tribe of the candidate (Identification as ST)
• Signatures of required authorities/ Approval from Government of India

CAT Reservation 2025 for OBC

You will find the CAT Reservation policy 2025 for OBC in the CAT official notification 2025. In CAT 2025, the reservation percentage for OBC category candidates will go as high as 27%. Notably, the CAT reservation 2025 for the OBC category in IIMs depends on the latest Central Government list of OBC categories on the last date of exam registration. According to the list, candidates falling under the OBC category can avail themselves of the reserved seats in IIMs only if they meet the necessary eligibility criteria and cutoff as mentioned below:

• Only candidates listed under the Central Government’s OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) list can avail themselves of this reservation.
• You must not fall under the ‘creamy layer’ category.
• OBC certificate furnished by you must be valid as of the last CAT registration date for the year 2025.
• You are not eligible if you belong to State OBCs that are not included in the central list.

IIM Reservation 2025 for EWS

Only those whose family has a gross annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh and those who are considered to be ineligible for the SC, ST, and OBC reservation schemes are designated as EWS for reservation. An Income and Asset Certificate issued by a Competent Authority must be presented to receive the advantage of reservation under the EWS category. The income and asset criteria used to determine eligibility under the EWS category have been provided below.

Criteria	Eligibility Status
Gross annual family income < ₹8 lakh	Eligible
Owns over 5 acres agricultural land	Not eligible
Residential flat of 1,000 sq. ft. or more	Not eligible
Plot over 100 sq. yards in notified municipalities	Not eligible
Plot over 200 sq. yards in other areas	Not eligible

If you are planning to apply under the EWS quota, you are required to get your Income and Asset Certificate from one of the following competent authorities that have obtained the legal permission to issue the EWS certificate required during CAT registration.

• District Magistrate / Additional District Magistrate
• Collector / Deputy Commissioner / Additional Deputy Commissioner
• Sub-Divisional Magistrate / Taluka Magistrate / Executive Magistrate
• Revenue Officer not below rank of Tehsildar
• Chief Presidency Magistrate / Presidency Magistrate
• Sub-Divisional Officer of candidate’s residence area

Who is Ineligible for EWS Reservations Offered by IIMs?

No matter how much money their family makes, candidates who fall within any of the following categories are not eligible for the EWS quota:

• Candidates whose families have agricultural lands of 5 acres or more.
• Candidates who have their own residential apartment that is at least 1,000 square feet.
• Candidates with parents who own a residential plot in certain municipalities that are at least 100 square yards.
• Candidates whose parents reside outside of eminent municipalities and who possess a residential plot of 200 square yards or more.

CAT Reservation 2025 for PwD Candidates

Candidates under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) category with 40% or more certified disability can avail themselves of 5% reservation under CAT. The accepted disabilities as per the RPwD Act 2016 for availing PwD reservation in CAT 2025 have been provided below:

• Category of Disability
• Blindness and low vision
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
• Autism, intellectual disability, mental illness, learning disability
• Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)
• Other 'specified disabilities' mentioned in 'The Schedule' of the RPwD Act 2016

If you have applied under the PwD category, you must upload your UDID and medical certificate at the time of CAT registration. In case you wish to use a scribe, you are required to submit a filled scribe affidavit.

CAT Reservation 2025 for Women

No specific percentage of seats have been reserved for women in IIMs. However, women can avail themselves of the benefit of gender diversity points during the selection process and this enhances the representation of women in management education. For example, to promote gender diversity in IIMs, the following bonus points are awarded:

• 5 additional points are awarded by IIM Bangalore
• 4 additional points are allotted for women candidates at IIM Calcutta

Reservation Requirements for Differently Abled Candidates at IIMs

Candidates taking the exam must be aware of the CAT reservation requirements:

• In IIMs, 3% of the seats are reserved for different abled candidates.
• Differently abled candidates must have a graduate degree with a minimum aggregate of 45%.
• Differently abled candidates (such as those who are blind or have a locomotor disability) will be given a wheelchair at the exam location.
• Differently abled candidates who fall under the low vision category are allowed to bring a scribe with them. Scribes are not subject to any specified requirements.

Also Read : CAT Score vs Percentile

CAT Reservation 2025: Key Points for Candidates

Candidates must keep in mind the below-mentioned points with regard to CAT reservation 2025.

• Ensure that the SC/ ST caste certificate mentions the following details:
  • Name of the caste/tribe
  • Whether the candidate belongs to SC or ST
  • District and State or Union Territory of the candidate’s residence
  • An appropriate Government of India schedule under which the candidate’s caste/tribe is approved by it as SC or ST.
• It is necessary for the candidates to carry the original reservation certificate along with a photocopy to be submitted during the interview round.
• It is mandatory for the candidates to upload caste certificates for SC/ ST/ OBC/ EWS/ PwD during registration.
• PwD category candidates are required to apply for a UDID card and upload the same during registration.
• To avail the scribe facility, candidates are required to download, fill, and upload the scribe affidavit during CAT registration.

Where to Fetch your Income or Caste Certificate to Apply for Reservations in CAT Exam From?

You can get all your documents before applying for CAT 2025 reservation at IIMs from the following authorities who issue them:

• District Magistrate/Additional District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner/Additional Deputy Commissioner/Collector/1st Class Stipendiary Magistrate/Sub-Divisional Magistrate/Taluka Magistrate/Executive Magistrate/Extra Assistant Commissioner
• Chief Presidency Magistrate/Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate/Presidency Magistrate
• Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar
• Sub-Divisional Officer in the area of residence of the candidate and his family

However, there is a disadvantage to the reservation policy. Many deserving students are denied admission to the preferred IIMs as a result of the reservation policy simply because they fall under the general category. The selection process for candidates for an IIM is extremely rigorous, yet, owing to the reservations, some individuals pass the process only for the sake of it. These students are not deserving enough to attend these colleges, which lowers the standard of the batch. The students who enter through reservations are unable to compete with the rest of the class and students who were admitted to the institution based on merit, and this affects the decorum of the classes.

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If you have further queries related to CAT 2025, you ask questions on our QnA zone . You can even check our CAT College Predictor 2025 and CAT Percentile Predictor 2025 to get an idea of your results based on your performance in the CAT 2025 exam. For admissions-related inquiries, fill out our Common Application Form (CAF) or call 1800-572-9877 to talk to the experts.