This change in IRMA's admission process is due to the directive from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued last year, asking affiliated institutes to choose only from one of the five entrance tests for admissions � CAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMA and GMAT. The IRMA had challenged it on the ground that being a rural management institute, it needed to assess its candidates differently and exams such as CAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMA and GMAT did not meet the criteria. The SC, in its November 2012 order, had asked the AICTE to consider having a separate test for institutes offering rural management courses.

Currently, IRMA is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on conduction of its own entrance test for admissions to its flagship course. The verdict is likely to be out in three weeks. The institute hopes the SC will allow it to conduct its own test, in which case it will come out with a merit list combining the two entrance tests.

"We have already registered our institute with CAT to use its scores for admissions to our flagship programme, but we hope that the apex court will allow us to retain our own test. If the verdict comes in our favour, we will combine the two tests for final admissions," IRMA director Jeemol Unni told a leading national daily.

An official notification on IRMA's official website read, " IRMA will use CAT 2013 scores for admission to 2014-16 Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management (PRM) and 2014 Fellow Programme in Rural Management (FPRM). IRMA is awaiting Supreme Court's pending decision for conducting IRMA admission test for the ensuing academic year. Details will be updated on IRMA website soon."

CAT 2013 will be conducted over a window period of 27 days from 16 October to 11 November, 2013.


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