The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are planning to come out with the general category list, excluding OBC candidates, next week.

The general list is being brought out to address the concerns of IIM hopefuls who have been thrown into uncertainty because of the delay.

“We are aware of the inconvenience being caused to the students because of the delay and we are considering the possibility of releasing the merit lists, excluding the OBC list, of the all the IIMs by next week,” said Asish Bhattacharyya, a professor of economics at IIM, Calcutta.

According to Bhattacharyya, officials of the six IIMs have already discussed the issue. “Now the directors will discuss and take a call on bringing out the list.”

“The OBC list might take more time to be released because some of the institutes are yet to conduct the group discussion and interviews of the candidates and the (human resource development) ministry has not yet sorted out the issue of the creamy layer, “ Bhattacharyya said.

The IIM admission lists were to be released on April 11 but were put on hold following uncertainty about how the OBC quota was to be implemented in the institutes. On April 10, the Supreme Court had allowed the implementation of OBC quotas in central higher education institutes.

The publication of results got delayed last year as well – ironically because of a Supreme Court stay on the quota. The merit list was published after a delay of 15 days.

For aspirants like Ankur Poddar, it’s a repeat of last year’s agonising wait.

“Last dates for submission of fees at other institutes are approaching rapidly and I will have to pay the first instalment to book my berth. I don’t know if the fee will be refunded or how I will manage two loans in case I get through to one of the IIMs,” Poddar said.

Poddar has got calls from all the IIMs but will have to consider applying for a loan to pay the first instalment of the fees at Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI) by April 21.

However, according to the All India Council for Technical Education norms, institutes approved by it are bound to give a full refund to students who want to leave before the start of the academic session.

Courtesy: The Telegraph