Admissions were made through JEE (Main) 2025 for Data Science & AI, and through CUET (UG) 2025 for Management & Public Policy.
IIM Sambalpur launched two undergraduate level programmes earlier this year, and has now welcomed the inaugural batch of its B.S. Programme in Data Science & AI and B.S. Programme in Management & Public Policy at the Sambalpur campus in Odisha.
In alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, IIM Sambalpur has launched its two cutting-edge new undergraduate programmes: “Bachelor of Science in Management and Public Policy” and “Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” in May 2025.
The inaugural batch welcomed 178 students across the two programmes, 88 in Data Science & AI and 90 in Management & Public Policy. Representing more than 20 states of India, including Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Lakshadweep, the batch reflects strong regional diversity, states a release issued by the institute.
The B.S. in Data Science & AI programme has enrolled 69 male and 19 female students, while the B.S. in Management & Public Policy has 51 male and 39 female students.
IIM Sambalpur UG Admission Process
Admissions were made through JEE (Main) 2025 for Data Science & AI, with the highest admitted rank being 44,645, and through CUET (UG) 2025 for Management & Public Policy course, where the top scorers achieved a 99.80 percentile.
Commonly asked questions
As per NIRF ranking 2025, top 5 CUET UG Universities are:
NIRF 2- Jawaharlal Nehru University
NIRF 4- Jamia Millia Islamia
NIRF 6- Banaras Hindu University
NIRF 5- University of Delhi
NIRF 10- Aligarh Muslim University
Common University Entrance Test (CUET) score 2026 will be accepted by more than 205 universities (central, state, private and deemed) across India. On the basis of the CUET UG score, candidates are offered admission to UG programme of the participating colleges. Candidates applying for admission to UG programme must ensure to check the course eligibility criteria before filling the application form.
Some of the top CUET accepting universities with NIRF ranking 2024 are:
| Name | State | NIRF Rank 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru University | Delhi | 2 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Delhi | 3 |
| Banaras Hindu University | Uttar Pradesh | 5 |
| University of Delhi | Delhi | 6 |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Uttar Pradesh | 8 |
CUET UG scores are not accepted by IITs. Common University Entrance Test for UG is conducted for admission to state, central, private, deemed and government institutions. Admission to UG courses of IITs is offered through other national level entrance examinations.
Ratnesh Jha, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network India graced the occasion as the chief guest, while Amit Sareen, Managing Director, Accenture and Anjan A, Vice President, North Trust were present as the Guests of honour. Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur along with faculty and students were also present during the event.
During his inaugural address, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “This is a historic step for IIM Sambalpur. By launching these B.S. programmes, we are investing in young minds who will become leaders in technology, policy, and society. Anchored in the core values of Integrity and Innovation, the programmes provides strong roots in data analysis, critical reasoning, and evidence-based decision-making. The cross-functional courses are designed to develop responsible leaders who can address intricate societal and industrial challenges with innovation, compassion, and a global perspective.”
The Bachelor of Science in Management and Public Policy programme is designed to meet national managerial aspirations in terms of Sustainability, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and community-led development. This programme aims to equip a new generation of change-makers to close the gap between policy and practice at the grassroots level.
Commonly asked questions
CUET UG cut off will vary from course to course and universities. To know the cut off for CUET UG courses, candidates must stay updated with the notification released by the universities for admissions. As per the previous year analysis, candidates can expect the CUET UG cut off for various top courses under Arts, Commerce and Science as mentioned below:
| University | CUET cutoff link |
|---|---|
| Delhi University | CUET DU Cutoff |
| Allahabad University | CUET AU cutoff |
| Banaras Hindu University | CUET BHU cutoff |
The answer to this question of whether an average student can get into IIM can be both yes and no depending on the definition of an average student.
- Based on Academics (Class 10/ Class 12/ Graduation): While a student with average scores in Class 10, Class 12 and graduation with a good CAT score certainly has good chances of getting a call from IIM-A, chances are less for someone with an average CAT score.
- Based on student category (General or Reserved): While it is tough for a General category average student to grab a seat at IIM due to high score requirements, a reserved category student can get admission being at average scores as well.
- Based on past work experience, diversity and other factors: Gender and academic diversity is also a factor on which students are shortlisted at IIM. IIMs judge the past academic category based on the degree obtained by the students before MBA and then a weightage is allotted based on that. For Engineers, the percentage for scoring the highest marks is higher as compared with other streams
- Performance in selection rounds: Once you make it to the final selection rounds, i.e., AWT/PI process, it can be considered a fresh start. At this stage, students can forget their past average-ness but definitely require good grasp over the past subjects as academics-related questions are asked in the interview.
Based on the above factors, it can be considered that while getting into top Management institutes, such as IIM is extremely tough, the past performance, CAT performance, student category and a lot of factors can be the reasons for a student to receive that final call.
This year, a total of 18,951 seats are available across all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence is focused towards developing India's digital capability and global competitiveness. The programme, co-designed with industry leaders builds future ready skill set among young students and encourages the use of ethical AI, reaffirming the institution's pledge to innovation with integrity.
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Abhay Anand is an experienced education journalist with over 15 years in print and digital media. Currently serving as Manager- Editorial at Shiksha.com, he specializes in higher education policy, student mobility,
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