IRMA Opens PGDM (RM) Admission 2023: Premier Institute in Rural Management; Check USPs, Fee, Placements, Selection Process; Last Date

Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), a highly ranked and pioneering management institute in India is now open with its application process for admission to its flagship PGDM (RM) 2023-25 batch. Carrying a legacy of 44 years, IRMA offers 2 years Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) (Equivalent to MBA) apart from other management programmes. 

Founded in 1979, by Dr. Verghese Kurien, known as the ‘Father of the White Revolution in India’, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), the Government of India, Government of Gujarat, the erstwhile Indian Dairy Corporation and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), IRMA has grown to become a premier institution of professional learning offering Management programmes with a focus on understanding real management problems and socio-economic realities of under-served communities through intensive fieldwork.

IRMA has introduced many changes in its final selection process for PGDM (RM) 2023-25 batch. IRMASAT, the own admission test of IRMA will not be conducted for admission 2023, instead IRMA will conduct WAT and PI round in final selection after shortlisting the candidates based on CAT 2022, XAT 2023 and CMAT 2022 exam score. The option is available for the candidates to attend the PI-WAT round online or offline. Read this article to know the key IRMA Highlights & USPs, PGDM (RM) Fees, Placements, cut offs, Eligibility criteria, how to apply for IRMA admission 2023 among other details

Table of Contents

1. IRMA Anand: Key Highlights & USPs
2. Programmes Offered at IRMA
3. IRMA PGDM (RM): Programme Highlights
4. IRMA Fees 2023
5. IRMA Anand Seats  
6. IRMA Anand Placements 2022
7. Scholarships at IRMA 
8. IRMA Admission Eligibility Criteria 2023
9. How to Apply for IRMA Admission? IRMA Application Process 2023 
10. IRMA Admission 2023: Important Dates
11. IRMA Admission Criteria 2023 
12. How to Improve your candidature for IRMA Admission 2023? Key Tips

1. IRMA Anand: Key Highlights & USPs

• Highly Ranked: IRMA is ranked #58 in GoI MHRD NIRF Ranking 2022 among top 125 management institutes in India and is ranked #30 in MBAUniverse.com B-School Rankings 2022
• Scholarships Worth Rs.3.17 Crores: IRMA has instituted 120 scholarships worth Rs. 3.17 crore for the students of its flagship Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) 
• Strong IRMA Placements: IRMA has a consistent record of High placements. Placement 2022 has registered Highest Salary of Rs. 26.50 LPA and Median Salary of Rs.14.33 LPA
• Top recruiters: Over the years, GCMMF (Amul) has remained one of the largest recruiters at IRMA. Other top recruiters include ITC, NDDB, Reliance Retail, Big Basket, Flipkart, Metro Cash & Carry, More Retail, TATA Steel, Godrej, Samunnati Finance among others
• Moderate IRMA Fees: Two years PGDM (RM) fee at IRMA is Rs.16.15 lakhs which is much lower than many top B-schools while the placements are at par with them.
• IRMA Alumni: IRMA has a highly placed large alumni base across the world. The distinguished alumni include Members of Parliament, Authors, Academics, Journalists and Editors, Top Executives, Social Activists among others. Mr R.S. Sodhi, MD of GCMMF (Amul) is an alumnus of IRMA. Possibilities are to engage with more than 3800 IRMAns and Industry stalwart who are managing revolutionary businesses around the world
• Faculty: IRMA has 33 faculty members on its full-time roll including 2 adjunct faculty members. Majority of faculty members are Ph.Ds/Fellows from top national and international institutes and universities. IRMA Faculty include some of the best academics with rich corporate experience. Experienced faculty members from reputed national and international institutions collaborate to inspire and create the thinkers of tomorrow for a better world. 
• Campus & Infrastructure: IRMA offers world-class infrastructure for learning at its 60-acre-green campus. IRMA’s synergy with Government and Non-Government Institutions as well as International Development Organizations provides the students with an ideal ecosystem for learning, research as well as implementation experience of real on-the-ground projects.

2. Programmes Offered at IRMA
IRMA offers following management programs at its campus

• 2 Years Full Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management): PGDM (RM) is AICTE approved flagship program of IRMA
• 15 Months Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management – Executive): AICTE approved program for executives with 5 years of work experience
• Fellow Programme in Management: Doctoral Level programme in Rural Management duly approved by AICTE. Leads to the Title “Fellow in Management (Rural Management). Programme has a minimum residency requirement of two and a half years

3. IRMA PGDM (RM): Programme Highlights

• IRMA's Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) prepares talented young managers to assume challenging roles in rural cooperatives and development organisations
• The two-year residential programme leading to a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) is recognised as equivalent to a Master's degree by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
• IRMA PGDM (RM) is approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
• The participants of this program are highly valued in local, national and international cooperatives, NGOs, development organizations, and funding agencies.
• All participants are suitably placed in different organizations through the IRMA Campus Placement programme.

4. IRMA Anand Fees 2023
Total IRMA PGDM (RM) Fees for 2023-25 batch is Rs.16,15, 452. The IRMA fee structure is shared below in detail

Component of IRMA Fees for PGDM (RM) 2023-25 Batch	IRMA Fees
IRMA Tuition Fees	Rs.12,59,676
IRMA Fees for Hostel, Computer, Library, Internet & Other Activities	Rs.  2,27,776
Deposits & Other Charges	Rs.  1,28,000
Total IRMA Fees	Rs.16,15,452

• Personal expenses on boarding, travel, clothes and laundry are extra.
• Mess is managed by the students’ body, therefore, the boarding and personal expenses will be over and above the mentioned fee.

5. IRMA Anand Seats  
Below is shared the IRMA Seats for PGDM (RM) 2023-25 batch

IRMA PGDM (RM) Programme	IRMA Seats (Approved Intake)
PGDM (Rural Management)	240

Five percent (5%) of seats within “Approved Intake” are allowed for admission under NRI category.

6. IRMA Anand Placements 2022
Over the years IRMA has been achieving consistently high placements. The placements process 2022 for the batch of 251 students was completed with 431offers from top recruiters. Key highlights of IRMA Placements 2022 are shared below

6.1 IRMA Placement 2022: Key Highlights

• Highest Salary goes up by 39.47% at Rs.26.50 LPA from Rs. 19 LPA last year
• Average Salary goes up by 34.67% at Rs.14.33 LPA from Rs.10.76 LPA last year
• 431 job offers received for 251 participating students
• Overall Median Package was Rs.15 LPA which has gone up by 48.51% from last year
• 19 PPOs Offered and accepted
• Lowest salary has gone up by 48.15% at Rs.8 LPA
• Top 10 percentile average salary was Rs.20.05 LPA
• Top 25% of the Batch Average Salary was Rs.17.67 LPA
• Top 50% of the Batch Average Salary was Rs. 16.70 LPA
• Average Salary for Fresh Graduates stood at Rs.14.34 LPA
• Average Salary for Graduates with Work Experience stood at Rs.14.31 LPA

6.2 Top Recruiters
Marquee companies including Flipkart, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited (AMUL), National Dairy Development Board, Cred Avenue, Crompton Greaves, Godrej Agrovet Ltd., ITC Ltd., Grant Thornton LLP, Licious, Tata Steel, Vedanta CSR, Yes Bank, Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services Pvt. Ltd., IDFC First Bank, Dhwani Rural Information Systems, Adani Wilmar Ltd., Future Group, Dharampal Satyapal Group, Jio Platforms Ltd., DCM Shriram, Metro Cash n Carry, More Retail, Reliance Retail, Verghese Kurien Policy Lab at IRMA, among others were the top recruiters in IRMA placements 2022.

7. Scholarships at IRMA
IRMA offers over 120 Scholarships worth Rs.3.17 Crore under various schemes as below to deserving students:

7.1 IRMA Scholarships
IRMA has announced scholarships worth Rs. 3.17 crore for the students of PGDM (RM) 2023-25 batch. There are 120 scholarships apart from other scholarships. Out of them number of scholarships  would be given exclusively to female candidates. Key highlights of scholarship scheme are:

• The scholarship amount will be up to 50% of the tuition fee
• The scholarship in the first year (2023-24) will be based on the overall selection merit of IRMA’s admissions process
• In the second year (2024-25) the Scholarship will be awarded based on the academic performance, i.e., the CGPA of the first year at IRMA.

7.2 Mirae Asset Foundation Scholarship: The Mirae Asset Foundation awards scholarships to three deserving candidates from each year of the flagship Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management).

7.3 IDFC FIRST Bank MBA Scholarship: The scholarship is provided to deserving students for the entirety of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management).

7.4 SC Scholarships: This scholarship covers the entire cost of education of SC candidates. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India has allocated 4 scholarships to IRMA for SC students. The scholarship covers tuition fees, non-refundable charges, lodging and boarding expenses, cost of books, stationery, and a personal computer.

7.5 ST Scholarships: A scholarship is allocated for ST students by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. The number of the scholarships are decided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India every year.

7.6 Tuition Fee Waiver (TFW) Scheme: The Tuition Fee Waiver Scheme, as per the AICTE rules, is available at IRMA. 

8. IRMA Admission Eligibility Criteria 2023
Following key points form the IRMA eligibility criteria 2023 for PGDM (RM) Admission 2023

• A Graduate from any discipline, with a minimum of 15 years of education and 50% or above (45% or above for SC/ST/PwD) aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA at the graduation level is eligible to apply for IRMA’s PGDM (RM) program
• The percentage of aggregate marks is to be calculated as per the practice followed by the concerned university or institution. If the university/institution does not have a scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, IRMA will establish the equivalence by dividing obtained CGPA with the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the resultant with 100
• Candidates in the final year of the bachelor’s degree may also apply if they would furnish evidence of meeting the minimum eligibility criteria by September 2023.  
• Final year students are eligible to apply. However the candidate should complete the graduation before the time of commencement of the PGDM (RM) 2023 - 25 programme (July 03, 2023). The candidates failing to meet the minimum eligibility criteria will be asked to withdraw from the programme. The Fees paid by such candidates will be forfeited unless IRMA fills their vacant seats through new admissions.

9. How to Apply for IRMA Admission? IRMA Application Process 2023

• Application for IRMA Admission 2023 to be submitted online only
• Applicant can apply online and pay through payment gateway
• No Facility to Apply offline in hard copy
• Application Fee payment to be made online only
• Only scanned copies of the required documents to be uploaded while filling up online application
• IRMA Admission 2023 Last Date to Apply is January 8, 2023

Institute of Rural Management Anand Admission 2023 Open: Apply Now

9.1 IRMA Application Fee:
IRMA application process 2023 is online and the IRMA application fee is Rs.2000/- for General, General (EWS) & OBC and Rs. 1000/- for (ST, ST & differently abled person).

9.2 Step by Step IRMA Application Process
IRMA application process can be completed in nine simple steps.

• Step-1 Register: At the IRMA admission application window ‘Register’, you should login as new user by inserting your Name, Email ID, Mobile number
• Step-2 Complete Basic Details & Upload Photograph: The next page on the IRMA Admission site requires your personal details. You should also upload your photograph on this page. IRMA also asks you whether you wish to be considered for Profile based shortlisting on this page, if you click on ‘Yes’ you will be considered for this unique process and if you click on ‘No’ you will be considered only for entrance exam score based shortlisting process.
• Step-3 General Information: This page requires you to fill in your parents’ details, income and other particulars. Complete the details and move to next page
• Step-4 Enter Address Details: A separate page to enter your correspondence and permanent address has been created on the IRMA Application form. In case your permanent address is same as correspondence address, you should simply click on ‘Yes’.
• Step-5 Course Selection & Academic Details: Next page on IRMA application form requires you to fill up your course selection details and all your academic details from class 10 onwards.
• Step-6 Versatility & Work Experience: If you have participated in sports and other extra-curricular activities and are an achiever, you should enter the details in the relevant fields. If you have work experience after completing your graduation, you should complete it in months on this page. It will help in profile based shortlisting.
• Step-7 Upload Academic Documents: On this page upload certificates from class X onwards and marks sheet for graduation.
• Step-8 Declaration: A separate declaration form has been added to the application form. You have to click on ‘I Agree’ box and also write your name and guardian’s name in the given spaces on this page
• Step-9 Make Payment of Application Fee: IRMA asks you to make payment of application fee after you have completed your application form. This is the final step to fill the application form. You can make payment through Credit/Debit card, Net Banking and other instruments.  

10. IRMA Admission 2023: Important Dates
The IRMA admission calendar has following important dates for admission 2023

IRMA Admission 2023 Activity	Dates
Last date to apply for IRMA admission 2023	January 8, 2023
Application Submission	Online Process
Online Personal Interviews	February 13 to March 05, 2023 (Except Sundays)
Offline Personal Interviews at 6 selected Centres	February 13 to March 5, 2023 (Except Sundays)
Announcement of final results	4th Week of March 2023
Last date for submission of admission acceptance form with initial admission fees of Rs.1 Lakh	Within 4 days from the announcement of Final result
Last date for depositing remaining first year fees	Within 7 working days after last date of acceptance fee payment
IRMA PGDM 2023-25 Program Commencement	First Week of July 2023

11. IRMA Admission Criteria 2023: Key Components & Step by Step Process
Before you know the step by step process for IRMA PGDM (RM) admission 2023, read below the key changes introduced in IRMA Admission Process 2023

• IRMA has replaced IRMASAT 2023 with the 30 Minutes Online Writing Ability Test (OWAT).
• IRMA will shortlist the candidates on the basis of CAT/XAT/CMAT scores but will not conduct IRMASAT
• The shortlisted candidates for IRMA Admission 2023 shall have to appear in OWAT instead of earlier IRMASAT 2023 exam
• If a candidate has appeared in CAT 2022, XAT 2023 and CMAT 2022 exams, IRMA will consider higher score in shortlisting the candidates for OWAT & PI

11.1 IRMA Admission 2023: Step by Step Process
Following steps are included in the IRMA Admission process:

Step 1: Apply and Appear in CAT 2022/XAT 2023/CMAT 2022
The candidate must have registered and should have appeared and scored the minimum required percentile in CAT 2022/XAT 2023/CMAT 2022

Step 2: Register and Apply for IRMA Admission
Carefully register and apply online for admission to IRMA. While applying, the applicant is required to pay the application fee. You need to follow the sequence of all stages after editing (do not skip any stage) to ensure proper data entry. Any editing is possible before final submission. After final submission, it will not be possible to edit the IRMA application form.

Step 3: Shortlist
The shortlisting includes the candidates who are short-listed for OWAT & Personal Interview round on the basis of their CAT and XAT score.

Step 4: Participate in OWAT & PI Round
After the Shortlisting process, all the shortlisted candidates have to appear in Online WAT and PI online or offline.  Personal Interview will be conducted in OFFLINE and ONLINE mode. Candidate will be given an option for selecting mode of Personal Interview.

Step 5: Final Admission Offer
Final Admission Offer will be made to the candidates in the last week of March 2023 on the basis of Final Merit Score

11.2 IRMA Cut Offs for Admission 2023
For PGDM (RM) 2023-25 admissions, IRMA Cut offs are likely to remain 80+ percentile in CAT and XAT. The Admission committee at IRMA decides the category wise CAT/XAT cut offs. IRMA gives higher emphasis on other quality parameters in its admission process. Accordingly, the B-school has not pegged the CAT, XAT, CMAT score cut off very high. The candidates above the minimum cut-offs in the CAT 2022/XAT 2023/CMAT 2022 will be considered for all the subsequent stages.

Acceptable Entrance Exam for PGDM (RM) Admission 2023	IRMA Cut off 2023	Comments
CAT 2022	80-85 percentile	For General Category
XAT 2023	80-85 Percentile	For General Category
CMAT 2022	80-85 Percentile or Corresponding score	For General Category

11.3 Weightages in IRMA Final Selection 2023
Following Weightages will be awarded in final selection of the candidates by IRMA

Components	Weightage Percent	Key Highlights & Eligibility
CAT 2022/XAT 2023/CMAT 2022 Percentiles	35%	At the time of final Merit List
Personal Interview (PI)	35%	Option available to attend Online or Offline
Online Written Ability Test (OWAT)	5%	30 Minutes test
Academic Performance	5%	10th Std: 1.5%; 12th Std:1.5%; Graduation:2%
Gender Diversity	3.5%	Only to Female & Transgender
Regional Diversity	5%	1. Candidates who have passed their 10th/12th Std from a school located in an aspirational district will get 2 marks in their final score 2. North Eastern State residents will receive 3 marks provided they submit a valid domicile certificate
Sports Diversity	1.5%	Candidates with a government certificate of their participation in sports at different levels will receive marks corresponding to the level of participation
Academic Diversity	2%	For Non Engineering Graduates
Academic Pedigree	3%	The institutions/universities will be decided based on government rankings – NIRF 2022 Ranking (Engineering, Dental, Pharmacy, Law, Medicine and other Colleges) and ICAR ranking 2020 for Agricultural Universities
Work Experience	5%	Highest score of 5 for the candidates with work ex between 31-36 months
Total	100%	Sum of all the weightages

11.4 OWAT & PI in IRMA Admission 2023: Key Highlights
After completing the shortlisting process, IRMA will call the candidates for the next round of selection process, comprising an Online Written Ability Test (OWAT) & Personal Interview (PI). Details are shared below:

11.4.1 OWAT Process in IRMA instead of IRMASAT

• IRMA will conduct Online Written Ability Test (WAT) after completion of Shortlisting of candidates for final selection round and will not conduct IRMASAT 2023 exam
• IRMA WAT 2023 is a paper-pen based written test of 30 minutes duration
• WAT at IRMA will be conducted on the day of candidate’s Personal Interview (PI) immediately after the briefing of the Admissions Chair
• In the WAT, candidate will need to write about 200/300 words on a given topic and upload the scanned copy using her/ his login credentials on IRMA website
• WAT 2023 for admission to IRMA PGDM (RM) 2023-25 batch, is designed to evaluate a candidate's rural aptitude as well as written communication skills.

11.4.2 PI Process in Final Selection: To be conducted after OWAT

• After the WAT, IRMA will conduct Personal Interview (PI) on the same day
• Candidates who are shortlisted for interviews with IRMA faculty, will be assessed on their managerial abilities, communication skills, and suitability for the Institute's program
• Since the PGDM (RM) caters to organisations contributing to broad-based rural development in India, the candidate's attitude towards rural management is of particular importance.
• Personal Interview will be conducted in OFFLINE and ONLINE mode. Candidate will be given an option for selection mode of Personal Interview.

11.4.3 IRMA Offline PI Centres
Offline Personal Interview will be conducted at five centers. If a candidate has selected offline mode for giving Personal Interview, she / he will be asked for the two preferences of centers while filling the online application form. The PI Centres are Anand, Bangalore, Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata

12. How to Improve your candidature for IRMA Admission?
IRMA is known for professionalizing rural management in the country. As such the candidates who appreciate the importance of addressing the problems associated with the villages, village economy, and society are the ideal ones and stand better chance to get into IRMA.

The qualities that IRMA looks for in a prospective candidate seeking admission at IRMA include a passion for understanding intricacies that are germane to rural. Accordingly, a prospective student at IRMA should develop an appetite to welcome challenging assignments both inside and outside the class. Along with aptitude, IRMA looks for qualities such as compassion, empathy, and respect towards all sections of the society.

IRMA is recognized not only as an institution of excellence in teaching and research but also for having successfully created the new discipline of rural management. Its path-breaking approach is being emulated by other institutions in India and abroad. As a premier institution of professional education and development IRMA has evolved unique curricula for its various programmes. The ideal candidates that IRMA mainly looks for are youngsters with a sense of dissonance with the Socio-Politico-Economic status quo and the urge to contribute to change.

IRMA is noted for pedagogic innovations and strives to make continuous and significant contributions to the transformation of rural India through leadership in cutting-edge knowledge creation, innovations in education, pursuance of the ethical imperative of sustainability, and policy-oriented research. The Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management at IRMA integrates the two streams and equips talented men and women with both development perspectives and business acumen.

IRMA has been working closely with its client organisations to integrate their emerging needs into its academic programme by periodically revising the curricula. The present PGDM (RM) design is a reflection of this growing partnership. Admission 2023 application at IRMA is open. Apply Now

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on IRMA, Anand