India has as many as 21 IIMs following a common reservation policy laid down by the Government of India. IIM reservation policy includes seats reserved for OBC, SC, ST, EwS, and PwD categories. Seats left after the IIM reservation are allocated for the general category candidates. Check IIM reservation policy 2026 here.
IIM Reservation Policy 2026 for SC, ST, OBC NCL, PwD, EwS
IIM Reservation Policy 2026: The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are centrally funded institutes that follow a reservation policy for different social categories in India. The policy ensures representation of various social and economic categories in their PG programs. Under the IIM reservation policy 2026, seats are allocated for OBC, SC, ST, PwD, and EWS categories. All candidates appearing for CAT exam need to meet the catego=ry wise cutoff to be eligible for the shortlists. IIM category wise cutoffs are based on the reservation policy set by the government.
CAT aspirants must obtain an understanding the IIM reservation criteria in India to plan their preparation. During shortlisting for admissions, the IIM reservation quota 2026 requires a general category candidate to score higher compared to a PwD candidate. This article indicates the IIM reservation policy 2026.
IIM Reservation Policy 2026
The table below mentions the IIM reservation percentage for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories:
| Category |
IIM Reservation Criteria |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
15 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
7.5 |
| Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) |
27 |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) |
10 |
| Total |
59.5 |
As per the policy a total of 59.5 per cent reservation prevails in IIMs. On top of this reservation, PwD candidates have a horizontal reservation of 5 per cent. Therefore, five per cent of seats for all categories is reserved for PwD candidates.
NOTE: IIMs do not release IIM reservation criteria PDF. The reservation policy is common for all centrally funded institutes
IIM Reservation Criteria for PwD - Horizontal Reservation
PwD candidates who belong to any of the social and economic categories mentioned above have a five per cent reservation among the reserved seats. The table below indicates the PwD IIM reservation criteria for MBA:
| Category |
IIM Reservation Criteria for PwD candidates |
|---|---|
| PwD candidates from SC category |
5% of 15% seats |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
5% of 7.5% seats |
| Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) |
5% of 27% seats |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) |
5% of 10% seats |
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How IIM Reservation Policy works during MBA Admissions via CAT?
The IIM admission process has multiple stages; the reservation policy is applied at each step of the IIM admission to ensure fairness for all categories. During the shortlisting process cutoff scores are defined based on the IIM reservation policy.
IIM Reservation Criteria: Shortlisting for WAT-PI
After CAT results are declared, each IIM releases its shortlist based on CAT cutoff percentile. Reserved category candidates have a slightly lower cutoff percentile compared to the General category candidates. Each IIM has a separate cutoff percentile which keeps varying every admissions session.
The table below mentions category-wise expected cutoff requirements for all IIMs:
| Category |
Approx. Cut-off |
|---|---|
| General |
98+ percentile |
| NC-OBC |
90–92 percentile |
| SC |
80–85 percentile |
| ST |
70–75 percentile |
| PwD* |
60–70 percentile |
IIM Reservation Policy during Final Selection
Candidates shortlisted for WAT and PI are evaluated on a composite score that includes:
- CAT percentile
- Academic performance
- Work experience
- Diversity factors
- WAT-PI performance
IIMs prepare a separate merit list for each category (General, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, PwD). This ensures that a candidate competes only within their own category.
IIM Reservation Policy in Seat Allotment & Waitlist Movement
IIMs release final selection lists after evaluating candidates on multiple factors. Candidates have to accept or reject the converted seats. Along the selection lists, IIMs publish a waitlist. Vacant seats after rejections are offered to candidates as per the category-wise waitlists. IIMs follow the reservation policy during seat allotment and waitlist movement to ensure the reservation criteria is met as per the IIM reservation policy.
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Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance
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