Registration for the new batch of PGP and PGP-FABM culminated on June 30 at IIM-A with one of the most diverse batches ever, in terms of gender and educational background, joining the institute.

Director of the institute professor Ashish Nanda said, “In our discussion-based learning environment, diversity in student backgrounds and experiences helps enrich the learning process by bringing in different perspectives to the class. We are delighted to welcome this group of incoming students.”

Non-engineers constitute 32 per cent of the students who have joined PGP programme this year — the highest in more than 15 years!

Professor Apratim Guha, Chairperson of admissions, explained, “Our admissions policy for interviews is to invite candidates from different academic disciplines based on their academic performances, subject to their clearing CAT cut-offs. This approach increases the discipline diversity of our incoming class, and is part of a conscious effort to improve the in-class learning experience of students, who would benefit from being in a class with people from diverse backgrounds.”

Data for PGP Programme

The PGP programme also witnessed a steady growth over the last three years in the percentage of women students, with this year’s batch having 28 per cent women.

Professor Nanda noted: “We are pleased with the increasing percentage of women students entering our class. This has been achieved without giving extra credits or holding specific quotas on account of gender. The increased percentage has been achieved through a combination of active recruitment of women candidates, encouraging discipline diversity of students called for interviews, and paying attention to holistic leadership potential among applicants being interviewed.”

Data for PGP Programme

PGP-FABM programme, the world’s top-rated programme in agri-business, also had a diverse entering class, with 45 per cent of the entering class being non-engineers, and 50 per cent, women.