NEW DELHI: Of the 65,978 students who took admission in the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) from 2015-16 to 2024-25, 17,184 were from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 9,721 from the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 4,140 from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
In a written reply, Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education, said of the 65,978 students, 31,122 were from the general category during this period.
During the years 2022-23 to 2024-25, a total 27,165 students were admitted in IIMs. Of them, 3,960 and 1,685 students were from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes respectively, he said.
The IIMs follow the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006.
He said the students from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes communities taking admission in the IIMs avail different scholarships provided to them by the central and state governments as per extant scheme guidelines of these scholarships.
In addition, the central government has launched the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to provide collateral-free and guarantee-free education loans to students who take admission in quality Higher Education Institutions, including all the IIMs.
Some of the scholarship schemes of the central government, which can be availed by students of IIMs, including the students belonging to the Scheduled Cases and Scheduled Tribes as per extant scheme guidelines are: Post matric scholarship scheme for ST students; National scholarship for higher education (top class scholarship) of ST students; Merit cum means based scholarship for students belonging to the minority communities; Post matric scholarship scheme for SC; Top class scholarship for SC students; AICTE SAKSHAM scholarship scheme; AICTE PRAGATI scholarship scheme; AICTE SWANATH scholarship scheme; and central sector scheme of scholarship for college and university students.