OBC candidates at IIM Indore have effective cutoffs 10 percentile below General, EWS 5-8 percentile below, SC 20-25 percentile below, and ST 20-25+ percentile below, based on the reservation policy. This thread shows OBC candidates with 94.04% CAT and 10 CGPA getting IIM I shortlists, while General 99.
69 GEF was rejected. The feeling of unfairness ("99 waala ro raha, 50 waala aage ho raha") is emotionally valid but factually incorrect; reserved categories have their own cutoff brackets and aren't competing on the same scale. IIM Indore at Rs 16.
5L fees and Rs 25 LPA average applies government-mandated reservations with category-specific cutoffs. For OBC candidates with decent academics, 93-95 percentile is often enough for IIM I call. For SC/ST candidates, even 70-85 percentile can get calls if academics are reasonable.
EWS candidates should target 93-96 percentile as a floor. Non-creamy layer OBC (annual income < Rs 8 LPA) is a requirement; creamy layer OBC gets treated as General. For General candidates frustrated by reservation, the path forward is: score 99.
7+ to compete with General-only pool, build profile spikes (CA, CFA, branded workex), and target institutes with more transparent cutoffs like FMS Delhi. Complaining about reservation doesn't change policy; strategic preparation does. Historical data shows IIM I consistently reserves 49% seats for reserved categories, same as other IIMs.
For reservation certificates, secure EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, or PWD documents 60-90 days before application deadline because processing takes time. Check your eligibility at collvera.