CAT 2024 Reservation Policy for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD at IIMs

Reservation Policy at IIMs : For MBA admission to the IIMs, one must qualify for the CAT exam. As far as seat reservation policy is concerned, IIMs follow the central government reservation policy. As per the seat reservation policy 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 be aware that IIMs will publish separate CAT cutoff 2024 lists for each category, after the CAT 2024 results , which will be released by the last week of December 2024. The registration will be dismissed if the candidate fails to provide proof of their reservation category at any point during the selection process. If you are planning to appear for the CAT 2024 exam and are seeking admission into IIMs, check the reservation policy for the OBC, SC, ST, EWS, and PwD categories here.

Also Read :

Will Cut Offs for IIMs Drop Due to Difficult Quant Section in CAT 2024?	What is a Good Percentile in CAT 2024?
CAT Score Weightage in IIMs	CAT Toppers List 2024

Reservation Policy at IIMs

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) 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 criterion along with the minimum level of performance in the CAT 2024 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 registration 2024 .

• 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.

Category-Wise Reservation of Seats in IIMs

​ Also Read : MBA Admission Process 2024

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.

CAT Reservation Certificates 2024 PDF

Candidates must upload the category/ disability certificates in PDF format during the CAT application process 2024 if they wish to avail the benefits of category reservation. 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

CAT Reservation Fees 2024

Candidates are not required to pay any extra fee for CAT reservation in 2024. 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.

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

CAT Reservation 2024 for SC/ ST

Candidates will find the CAT Reservation policy 2024 for SC/ST categories in the CAT official notification 2024. 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 2024 eligibility criteria and cutoffs will become eligible for CAT reservation for the SC/ST category in IIMs in 2024.

CAT Reservation 2024 for OBC

Candidates will find the CAT Reservation policy 2024 for OBC in the CAT official notification 2024. In CAT 2023, the reservation percentage for OBC category candidates was observed to go as high as 27%. Notably, the CAT reservation 2024 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.

CAT Reservation 2024 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, additional 5 points are awarded by IIM Bangalore while 4 points are allotted for women candidates at IIM Calcutta to promote gender diversity in IIMs.

Reservation Policy at IIMs: Who is Included Under the EWS category?

The following individuals are covered under the EWS category:

• 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.

Officials with the Power to Issue an "Income and Asset Certificate"

Here is a list of the authorities who are qualified to issue an "Income and Asset Certificate":

• Collector, District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, First Class Stipendiary Magistrate, Taluka Magistrate, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Executive Magistrate
• The Chief Presidency Magistrate, Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate, Presidency Magistrate
• Revenue Officer not at a lower rank than that of Tehsildar.
• Sub-divisional Officer of the region where the candidate and/or his family dwell.

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.

Reservation Policy at IIMs: Who is Offered Reservation Under Person with Benchmark Disability (PwD) Category?

A Person with Benchmark Disability is a person with not less than 40% of specified disability as specified in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Check all the disabilities that fall under the PwD category.

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

Also Read:

CAT Preparation Tips	CAT Previous Year Question Papers

Reservation Requirements for Differently Abled Candidates

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.

CAT 2024 Reservation Policy at IIMs Cutoff

Candidates must qualify the CAT exam to seek admission to the MBA programmes offered by IIMs. Different IIMs will have different CAT reservation cut offs for MBA/PGDM admission. The expected range of IIM reservation cut off for candidates belonging to the reserved category has been provided below:

Category	CAT Cutoff 2024 (Expected)
OBC	70 - 80 percentile
SC	45 - 70 percentile
ST	35 - 65 percentile
PwD	30 - 60 percentile
EWS	70 - 85 percentile

It is imperative for candidates belonging to the IIM reservation quota category to upload their certificates as proof while filling out the CAT registration form 2024.

Documents Required for CAT Reservation for SC/ ST Category

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
• Union Territory or District and the State of the ordinary residence
• Name of the belonging caste or tribe of the candidate.
• Signatures of required authorities

Also Read : CAT Score vs Percentile 2024

Certificates & Forms Required for Reservation at IIMs

All required documents for reservations in CAT 2024 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

Reservation Policy at IIMs: Necessary Details of Reservation at IIMs

Before completing the CAT application form, candidates must read all guidelines thoroughly.

• Prior to filling out the application, those who wish to avail of the reservation facilities must first confirm their eligibility.
• Candidates who fall under one of the following categories: SC, ST, PWD, or OBC must fill out a separate caste certificate.
• To demonstrate their eligibility, candidates must also attach their caste certificate in addition to filling out the required information. The certificates must be signed by the competent authorities.
• Candidates who fall under the category of Physically Handicapped individuals must present a disability certificate that has been duly signed by a licensed physician.
• The disability certificate must include a statement on the degree of the disability. Furthermore, a brief explanation of the disability should be included on the certificate.

Key Information for Candidates in Reserved Category

The following key information applies to SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS, and PwD:

• Candidates must ensure that their caste/tribe has been included in the Government of India schedule if they fall under the SC/ST category.

• Candidates will be allowed to submit caste or category certificates only in the formats specified by the government.

• The following should be included in the SC/ ST caste certificate in the specified format:

  • Name of the caste or tribe

  • Whether the candidate is from an SC or ST background

  • The candidate's native district, state, or union territory of residence

• An appropriate Government of India schedule under which the caste or tribe of the candidate has been recognized as SC or ST must also be submitted.

• When registering for CAT 2024, upload the caste certificates for SC/ ST/ OBC/ EWS/ PwD.
• The original reservation certificate along with a photocopy of the certificates will be needed while conducting interviews for submission.
• It is mandatory for the PwD category candidates to apply for a UDID card and upload the same during registration.
• Candidates who wish to avail themselves of scribe facility must download, fill, and upload the scribe affidavit during CAT registration 2024.

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.

Also Read:

If you have further queries related to CAT 2024, you ask questions on our QnA zone . You can even check our CAT College Predictor 2024 and CAT 2024 Percentile Predictor to get an idea of your results based on your performance in the CAT 2024 exam. For admissions-related inquiries, fill out our Common Application Form (CAF) or call 1800-572-9877 to talk to the experts.