IIMA announces reservation in PhD admissions from 2025 as per 'govt guidelines'
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has announced that it will implement reservation in the PhD admissions from 2025 as per the "government guidelines".
There was no further elaboration from the premier business school on how the quota system will be implemented.
Notably, the IIMA informed the Gujarat High Court last year that it may implement reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), as well as disabled candidates in doctoral programmes from 2025.
The institute was then replying to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the HC in 2021 by Anil Wagde, a Global IIM Alumni Network member, who had sought the implementation of reservation in the institute's PhD programmes.
Through the PIL, Wagde had submitted that not providing reservation in the PhD amounted to violation of constitutional provisions, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act and the University Grants Commission's norms.
The announcement for the 'PhD admissions 2025' posted on the IIMA's website has mentioned that "Government of India guidelines for reservation are followed during admissions" - an indication of quota introduction from next year.
A representative of the IIMA's media department confirmed there was a similar mention about reservation in the admission announcement published in leading newspapers this month.
The last date to apply for the doctoral programme is January 20, 2025 and interviews are likely in March-April next year.
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Waqf Bill anti-secular, will snatch rights of Muslims: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as “anti-secular”, claiming that it would snatch the rights of Muslims.
Banerjee, speaking in the assembly, also said the Centre did not consult with states over the matter.
“The bill is anti-federal and anti-secular; it is a deliberate attempt to malign a particular section. It will snatch the rights of Muslims... The Centre did not consult with us on the Waqf Bill,” she said.
The chief minister added that “if any religion was attacked”, she would wholeheartedly condemn it.
Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims.
The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the Waqf boards and make them accountable.
A parliamentary committee has been constituted to scrutinise the contentious bill.
