IIMs lag in implementing faculty reservation rosters despite Centre's directive, raising governance concerns

Hindustan Times - India · 6 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Education Mains · GS2 Governance High relevance

Several IIMs have failed to complete faculty reservation rosters nearly a year after the Education Ministry's directive, highlighting systemic challenges in implementing affirmative action in premier institutions.

Key points

IIM Coordination Forum minutes reveal 8 IIMs haven't submitted category-wise faculty position details and 10 haven't prepared draft rosters, despite repeated parliamentary queries on the matter.

The Indian Institute of Management Act, 2017 establishes the forum as an advisory body, unlike the binding IIT Council, reflecting weaker enforcement mechanisms for policy implementation.

RTI data shows severe vacancies in reserved faculty positions: 58.6% OBC, 55.9% SC, 79.6% ST, and 77.6% EWS posts remain unfilled across nine IIMs.

Post-doctoral fellowships were proposed as a grooming mechanism for reserved category candidates, indicating structural barriers in faculty pipeline development.

[GS2-Governance] This reflects systemic failures in implementing Article 15(4) and Article 16(4) constitutional provisions for affirmative action in public employment.

IIM directors cite lack of qualified candidates as the primary challenge, exposing deeper issues in creating an inclusive academic ecosystem from doctoral level upwards.

The forum discussed faculty mobility between older and newer IIMs to address experience gaps, suggesting institutional collaboration to meet diversity goals.

[GS3-Economy] Persistent vacancies in premier management institutes could impact quality of public policy education, affecting governance capacity building.

Way Forward: Mandate time-bound implementation with penalties for non-compliance, establish dedicated doctoral scholarships for reserved categories, and create a central pool of eligible candidates with mentorship programs.

Key terms

Indian Institute of Management Act, 2017

The legislation that granted IIMs autonomy while establishing the Coordination Forum as an advisory body. For UPSC, it's significant as it created a weaker governance framework compared to IITs, impacting policy implementation like reservations.

Article 15(4)

Constitutional provision enabling special measures for advancement of socially and educationally backward classes. Relevant for UPSC as it forms the basis for reservations in educational institutions like IIMs.

Article 16(4)

Constitutional provision permitting reservations in public employment. Crucial for UPSC as it governs faculty appointments in public-funded institutions like IIMs.

Reservation Roster

A system for implementing reservations by distributing posts across cadres. Important for UPSC as its proper implementation ensures constitutional compliance in public employment.