First LU VC to head an IIM; appointment ends IIM Calcutta’s two-year wait for permanent leadership.
In a major development, Professor Alok Kumar Rai, the current Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University, has been appointed as the new Director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta. The appointment was approved by President Droupadi Murmu in her capacity as Visitor to the Indian Institutes of Management and was notified by the Ministry of Education this week.
Prof Rai’s selection brings an end to IIM Calcutta’s nearly two-year wait for a full-time director and marks a rare instance of a non-IIM faculty heading one of India’s premier business schools. His appointment has been welcomed by academic circles as a significant recognition of leadership emerging from state-funded institutions.
Academic leadership and reforms at LU
An alumnus and former Professor of Management at Banaras Hindu University, Prof Rai took over as Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University in December 2019 and was reappointed for a second term in 2022.
This marks the first time a sitting Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University has been appointed to lead an IIM. Prof Rai is also among a small group of academic leaders from outside the IIM system to head one of the top three IIMs in the country.
Commonly asked questions
14 candidates have scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024, out of a total of 2.93 Lacs candidates. Out of 14 toppers, 1 is a woman candidate. Check below CAT 2024 result data:
Check the below table for data and statistics of CAT 2024 test takers and toppers.
| CAT Toppers | Gender and Discipline |
State |
|---|---|---|
| 100 percentiles 14 - Nos |
Female - 1 Male - 13 Engg – 13 Non-Engg – 1 |
Andhra Pradesh 1 Delhi 2 Haryana 1 Kerala 1 Maharashtra 5 Odisha 1 Rajasthan 1 Telangana 2 |
| 99.99 percentiles 29 -Nos. |
Female - 2 Male - 27 Engg – 25 Non-Engg - 4 |
Chandigarh 1 Delhi 4 Gujarat 2 Haryana 1 Karnataka 3 Kerala 1 Madhya Pradesh 1 Maharashtra 5 Odisha 1 Punjab 1 Rajasthan 3 Tamil Nadu 1 Telangana 1 Uttar Pradesh1 Uttarakhand 1 West Bengal 2 |
| 99.98 percentiles 30-Nos |
Female - 1 Male - 29 Engg – 20 Non-Engg -10 |
Bihar 1 Delhi 2 Gujarat 2 Haryana 4 Karnataka 4 Madhya Pradesh 3 Maharashtra 3 Tamil Nadu 2 Telangana 3 Uttar Pradesh 2 West Bengal 4 |
The minimum CAT percentile required for admission is different for each category. The institute does not release the CAT cutoff publicly and is instead only available via login.
Hence, according to the estimated CAT cutoff for the General AI category, students would need a percentile of at least 94 to qualify for the 2nd round of admissions, which involves WAT, GD and PI. Students can click here for more information.
Sources said the IIM Calcutta Board of Governors has been formally notified, and Prof Rai is expected to assume charge in the coming weeks. His appointment comes at a crucial time for IIM Calcutta, which has been functioning under interim leadership for almost two years.
The Raj Bhawan in Uttar Pradesh has already initiated the process to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor for Lucknow University, with applications invited this week.
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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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