IIMs yet to complete faculty reservation rosters nearly a year after centre’s directive

Almost a year after Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) were instructed to submit reservation rosters for faculty and non-teaching roles, many premier management institutes are still in the process, as per official records seen by HT. During the first Coordination Forum of IIMs in September 2025, officials highlighted "inherent challenges" in implementing the rosters, citing difficulties in finding qualified PhD-holding candidates in required fields.

By May 14, 2026, the ministry still awaited category-wise sanctioned-position details from eight IIMs — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Indore, Ranchi, Rohtak, Udaipur and Mumbai — with draft rosters pending from ten, including the aforementioned seven plus Nagpur and Sambalpur. Despite noting frequent parliamentary requests for such information, the ministry's June 17 minutes, obtained via RTI, indicate the issue remains unresolved.

At the May 2026 meeting, the ministry urged IIM directors and chairpersons to enhance compliance with constitutional reservation provisions, particularly at the newly established IIM Guwahati. The forum also explored strategies like employing post-doctoral fellows to expand the pool of eligible candidates and suggested faculty mobility, with newer IIMs potentially gaining senior faculty from older institutes.

However, data from RTI responses shows significant vacancy rates in reserved faculty positions, ranging from 58.6% for OBC to 77.6% for EWS at nine IIMs, while general category vacancies averaged 13.6%.