More non-engineering students breach B-school wall
ADVERTISEMENT In a first, non-engineers at 50.12%, outnumbered engineers for the 2025-27 batch at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. At IIM Kozhikode, 53% of the latest batch is non-engineers, while at IIM Lucknow, it is at 49.3%. Both SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Mumbai, and Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon have 42% non-engineers in the new batch.
In comparison, till about a decade ago, non-engineers comprised only 10-15% of the class at IIMs.
While efforts to balance the skew have been ongoing for a while now, through initiatives such as awarding extra 'diversity points', giving less weightage to the Common Admission Test (CAT) score, and focusing more on personal interviews, the momentum gathered pace in the last two-three years.At IIM Ahmedabad, for instance, in the last three years, the share of non-engineers has risen from 33.5% to the current 50.12% levels.Himanshu Rai, director at IIM Indore, attributes this to the growing recognition among both academic institutions and recruiters that successful managers can emerge from a wide array of academic backgrounds. Business schools, he says, are placing greater emphasis on diverse thinking styles, strong communication abilities, and domain expertise from fields such as statistics, economics, humanities, commerce, design, and law.
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"Today, this shift is not only deliberate but also necessary. Modern business challenges are complex and multifaceted, demanding more than just quantitative prowess; they require interdisciplinary insight and varied perspectives," said Rai."The success of business education lies in academic diversity," noted Prof Jyotsna Bhatnagar, dean-graduate programmes, MDI, Gurgaon. "This not only makes it more relevant but also way more future-proof than what even the smartest AI is yet to replicate. A healthy mix of student portfolios helps in more meaningful conversations and better problem-solving abilities."
ADVERTISEMENT "The rise of non-engineering students in our B-schools is a welcome shift," says Supratik Bhattacharyya - chief talent officer, RPG Group, which recruits from top IIMs, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMR and MDI, among others."Despite RPG being rooted deep in engineering and technology driven businesses, we strongly believe that diverse minds lead to better decisions, richer problem-solving, and more inclusive leadership," said Bhattacharyya.
ADVERTISEMENT "We see immense value in bringing together talent from varied academic backgrounds, because real-world challenges demand as much analytical thinking as it does creative problem-solving, empathy and communication. Only a mix of perspectives can help us build more agile, innovative, and human centric organisations."
At IIM Kozhikode, this holistic approach ensures a richer and more varied learning experience for all students, bringing diverse perspectives to classroom discussions, said admissions chairperson Ram Kumar PN. IIM Bangalore has 170 non-engineers (28%) in the flagship two-year MBA (PGP and PGPBA) - highest in the last four years, said Prof Mukta Kulkarni, dean of Academic Programmes.
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Business Standard
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- Business Standard
Parliament clears bill to set up India's 22nd IIM in Guwahati with ₹555 cr
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Later, replying to the discussion on the bill, Pradhan said this will be the 9th IIM to be established since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014. "From 1961, IIMs are functioning in the country. From 1961 to 2014, in the span of 53 years, successive governments could create only 13 IIMs," the minister said. In 2013-14, across all 13 IIMs the number of students was 3,500. Today the number of students in 2024-25 is 9,800, which shows the commitment of our government towards creating new institutions and giving an opportunity to many students in our country, said Pradhan. The minister further said in 2017, the government took a historic decision on IIMs when they were not competent to award degrees and gave a PG Diploma. He asserted that as a result of PM Modi's vision, IIMs became an institution of national importance. "Now with enactment of 2017 Act by Parliament, IIM became a full-fledged university-like institution. IIM Guwahati, when it starts functioning, (will be) as good as a university, an institution of national importance," said Pradhan. "India's 22nd IIM will be set up in Guwahati at an investment of ₹555 crore," informed the minister. He alleged that Assam's worst days were during 2004-14 when it was completely ignored by Congress under then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he did not have the decision-making powers, which lay with someone else. "We are granting permission to foreign universities to open (their campuses) in India. Today 15 foreign universities are making preparations to open (campuses) in India, some have already been established here. Similarly... in the last two years, two IITs have opened abroad in Abu Dhabi and Africa," said Pradhan. He said IIM-Ahmedabad is known as the factory for producing unicorns. The establishment of an IIM in Guwahati as an institution of national importance is one of the projects under the special development package provided to Assam. At present, there are 21 IIMs that are declared institutions of national importance and each of those are specified in the Schedule to the IIM Act. Participating in the debate on the Bill, members, including Goll Baburao (YSRCP), Niranjan Bishi (BJD) and M Thambidurai (AIADMK), expressed concern over vacant faculty posts at IIMs and the rising rate of students' suicides. Niranjan Bishi (BJD) welcomed the bill with a request to establish more IIMs in Odisha. "About 500 faculty posts are vacant and it should be filled up. Ragging in IIMs and IITs should be stopped," he said. M Thambidurai (AIADMK) said, "We are attracting more students for IIMs, but suicides are rising". He also demanded that the minister probe into vacant posts of vice-chancellors in 8-9 universities in Tamil Nadu as he slammed the DMK government in the state for the current situation. Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) said Congress ignored the demand of people of Assam. Setting up of IIM will not only develop Assam but the entire Northeast, he said. He also requested the minister to give students from the Northeast a priority in admission into IIM-Guwahati. Praful Patel (NCP) said it is a welcome step for many aspiring students of the Northeast. It is necessary to spread education in length and breadth of the country. "There should be a day when people all over the world want to come to our IITs and IIMs to get the degree, with that vision the government is moving ahead," he added. K Laxman (BJP) said surprisingly, there was only one IIM set up during the UPA, and during the Modi regime nine such institutes have come up. "I also feel the youth and students of Assam need not travel for better education. With support of ₹ 555 crore, Assam is going to one for centre of education," he said. He also demanded setting up of an IIM in Telangana. Geetha, alias Chandprabha (BJP), said so far, there was no IIM in Assam and students were travelling to other cities. The setting up of an IIM in Assam is a good move and is in the interest of students. Ravichandra Vaddiraju (BRS) welcomed the bill and demanded that an IIM be set up in Hyderabad. Kanad Purkayastha (BJP) said it will open vast opportunities for the youth and build strong ecosystem for startups and business. Naresh Bansal (BJP), Rambhai Harjibhai Mokariya (BJP) and Ramji (BSP) also participated in the debate. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Parliament Passes Bill To Establish IIM In Guwahati, Admissions To Start This Year
The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 allows the new institution to start admitting students from this academic year, Pradhan said. The country's 22nd Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will be established in Guwahati, with an investment of Rs 555 crore. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was approved by Parliament on Wednesday, allowing the new institution to start admitting students from this academic year, according to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill with a voice vote despite an opposition walkout. The Lok Sabha had already cleared the bill on Tuesday. Following approval from both Houses, the bill will now go for Presidential assent. Assam is set to hold elections early next year. Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned that the establishment of IIM-Guwahati will contribute to India's goal of becoming the world's third-largest economy. This will be the ninth IIM set up since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. The minister highlighted that from 1961 to 2014, only 13 IIMs were established, whereas the number of students has significantly increased from 3,500 in 2013-14 to 9,800 in 2024-25. In 2017, a historic decision allowed IIMs to award degrees instead of PG Diplomas. Pradhan emphasized that IIMs have become institutions of national importance. IIM Guwahati will function similarly to a university upon its establishment. The minister criticised the Congress government under Manmohan Singh for ignoring Assam during 2004-14. He mentioned that foreign universities are preparing to open campuses in India, and two IITs have recently opened abroad in Abu Dhabi and Africa. IIM-Ahmedabad is renowned for producing unicorns. The establishment of IIM-Guwahati is part of a special development package for Assam. Currently, there are 21 IIMs designated as institutions of national importance. During the debate, members like Goll Baburao (YSRCP), Niranjan Bishi (BJD), and M Thambidurai (AIADMK) voiced concerns about vacant faculty posts and rising student suicides. Bishi requested more IIMs in Odisha and urged measures to fill 500 vacant faculty positions and stop ragging in IIMs and IITs. Thambidurai called for an investigation into vacant vice-chancellor posts in Tamil Nadu universities. Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) expressed that the Congress ignored Assam's demands and that the new IIM would benefit the entire Northeast. He requested priority admission for Northeast students at IIM-Guwahati. Praful Patel (NCP) welcomed the bill, noting the importance of spreading education across the country. K Laxman (BJP) pointed out that only one IIM was set up during the UPA regime, while nine were established under Modi's administration. He highlighted the need for an IIM in Telangana. Geetha (BJP) supported the bill, noting that Assam students will no longer need to travel for education. Ravichandra Vaddiraju (BRS) and Kanad Purkayastha (BJP) spoke about the benefits for youth and startups. Naresh Bansal (BJP), Rambhai Harjibhai Mokariya (BJP), and Ramji (BSP) also participated in the debate. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Lok Sabha passes Bill to set up IIM in Guwahati
The Lok Sabha passed the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Tuesday (August 19, 2025), paving the way to set up one of the country's premier educational institutions in Guwahati, Assam. While moving the Bill, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that it would facilitate the creation of the second IIM in northeastern India, after IIM Shillong, noting that this was a long-standing demand of people in the region. A financial grant of ₹550 crore has been allocated for IIM Guwahati, he said. The Bill, which aims to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, was passed without discussion amid continuing Opposition protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Foreign demand for IIMs The 21 IIMs currently operational in the country have achieved a brand status, said Mr. Pradhan, adding that there has been a demand to set up IIMs in other countries as well. The IIM Dubai campus will open next month, he added. Explaining the context of the demand for IIM Guwahati, the Bill noted that the Union and Assam governments had signed a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with representatives of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), promising the comprehensive development of the State. The establishment of an IIM in Guwahati, as an institution of national importance, is part of the Special Development Package (SDP) provided to Assam, the Bill said.
