The current batch at the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIMA) has received one of the most diverse batches in recent years for its flagship Post Graduate Programme (PGP) - 2016-18 batch, the institute informed here.

The admission process for the 53rd batch of PGP-2016-18 concluded on June 30, 2016. As per the records, the current batch has 20 per cent students with non-engineering background, one of the highest in past five years. The batch has 21 per cent women students, a significant rise over last year.

In the 2015-17 batch, 9 per cent of incoming students were non-engineers and 14 per cent were women students, the institute informed.

"We are continually assessing our admissions process critically to ensure we are selecting candidates best positioned to be leaders of enterprises. We are delighted that in selecting potential leaders who can contribute to their own and their colleagues’ growth and learning, we have also achieved a diverse mix in the entering class," said Ashish Nanda, Director, IIMA.

"In a discussion-based learning environment, such as ours, diversity of participants’ backgrounds and inclusivity of the institution’s culture contribute significantly to a positive learning environment," he added.

The increase in diversity of students can be correlated to some changes in the admission process introduced by the Institute in 2014-16.

In addition to short-listing candidates for interviews based on CAT scores, the Institute is admitting top candidates from seven broad academic disciplines.

Professor T. Bandyopadhyay, former Chairman, PGP Admissions, who led the admissions process for the 2016-18 batch, said, "Diversity in the student population helps in enriching the learning process by bringing in diverse perspectives in the class-room discussion. It appears we are on the right track."

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