CAT 2016: Mismatch between IIMs and CAT eligibility criteria; toppers also not eligible

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
August 19, 2016
CAT 2016 eligibility criteria do not see eye to eye with the eligibility norms announced in the admission policy by IIMs for PGP 2017-19 batch
The mismatch can shatter the dream of the 100 percentiler in CAT 2016 to pursue management education at IIM Ahmedabad even if he is a top bureaucrat

CAT 2016 eligibility criteria do not see eye to eye with the eligibility norms announced in the admission policy by IIMs for PGP 2017-19 batch. Does it mean that IIM Ahmedabad will not consider and shortlist even the CAT 2016 toppers, if they fulfill the CAT eligibility but fall short of the norms announced by the B-school. The mismatch can shatter the dream of the 100 percentiler in CAT 2016 to pursue management education at IIM Ahmedabad even if he is a top bureaucrat, or himself is a professor in some top institute unless he has completed his graduation with minimum 3 years duration. 

CAT 2016: 2 years of bachelor’s degree eligible    
Announcing no age bar to appear in CAT 2016 and remain eligible for admission to any of 20 IIMs, CAT Centre 2016 has allowed 14 years of education upto graduation and has amended the registration form accordingly.

It means if you did graduation in old pattern when duration of bachelor’s degree was of 2 years, you are eligible to appear in CAT 2016 as well as for admission to various courses offered by IIMs as the registration form contains list of all the 32 management programmes offered by 20 IIMs. The admission to any of these 32 programmes will be finalized by IIMs  on the basis CAT 2016 scores.

IIM Ahmedabad: Minimum 3 years of graduation required
In contrast to the CAT 2016 eligibility criteria, IIM Ahmedabad and in all probability other IIMs might follow, need minimum 15 years of education till graduation defying the CAT 2016 eligibility criteria of minimum 14 years of study till graduation and thus have created mismatch.

IIM Ahmedabad  while announcing the admission policy for flagship PGP 2017-19 batch has a different eligibility criterion declaringThe bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.”

IAS; PSU top executives in dilemma
Top bureaucrats and PSU executives of a little older age having 2 years of graduation degree obtained in old system are, although allowed to appear in CAT 2016, will not be considered for admission at IIM Ahmedabad despite scoring 100 percentile. The academic and age diversity in IIM class rooms may again remain a myth, in case IIMs do not clarify whether they would accept 2 years of graduation degree or stick to 3 or 4 years of graduation.

No Age Restriction in CAT 2016
Regarding Age restrictions, CAT 2016 FAQs on Registration and eligibility have specific answers

Query: Is there any age restriction for taking the CAT exam?
Ans from CAT Centre 2016: No, there is no age restriction for taking the CAT exam.

CAT 2016 registration form has duly modified its academic section and has added 2 years of bachelor’s degree to its eligibility norms. But IIMs do not concur with the eligibility standards in CAT 2016 and therefore have fixed different eligibility norms although they have been convening CAT year after year.

IIMs impose age restriction
The comparatively old aged CAT 2016 aspirants with 2 years of graduation degree can register for CAT 2016 without any problem, the question remains whether the 20 IIMs including A, B, C, L would accept their candidature even if they score 100 percentile since they need minimum of 3 years of graduation which means 15 years of study upto graduation while in old system 14 years of study was required upto graduation in humanties, commerce, arts, science among others.

India has thousands of such MBA aspirants coming from this age group and with 2 years of graduation degree. These people are the gems of the society who propose to make their dream of studying in IIM Ahmedabad come true.

If Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) do not amend their admission eligibility criteria on graduation degree, they will defy their own norms fixed by them to take CAT 2016. How do IIMs and MHRD propose to resolve the issue, is yet to be seen.

CAT 2016 V/s IIMs: Whose responsibility?
In case CAT 2016 changes its criteria and goes back to minimum 3 years of education in graduation, the claim of no age restriction to appear in CAT 2016 would not hold good and there will be an implied hidden age bar in CAT 2016 registration process.

Does it imply that only engineering/medical/law or other such graduate courses where 3-4 years of study period is pursued will be applicable? What happens to academic diversity then? Let the Ministry of HRD, IIMs think over it and modify the eligibility norms accordingly or put an age bar in the admission process.

Number of top educators, deans and directors at many highly ranked institutes are the holders of 2 years graduation degree, but to be eligible to take admission in IIMs, you need 3 years of study in graduation.

MBA/PGDM courses are being shrunk from 2 years to 1 year duration to expedite the process of imparting management education, whereas periodicity of graduation in streams of Arts, Science and commerce was increased from 2 years to 3 years and now proposed from 3 years to 4 years.

It’s really surprising that not the graduation degree but the periodicity of graduation is taken into account to get into the top rated IIMs. How it could be attributed to be the fault of candidates when well reputed UGC recognized universities awarded 2 years’ graduation degree? In case the graduation is again reduced to 2 years of study, would all those who wish to pursue PGDM from IIMs after 10-15 years, not be allowed to appear in CAT at that time.

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