IIM-Rohtak Director Suggests to Set up “CAT Corporation” to Hold Multilingual Exam, Allow Multiple Attempts a Year, Read Why

IIM-Rohtak Director Dheeraj Sharma recommends conducting Common Admission Test (CAT) , the B-school entrance examination, in both Indian and foreign languages. He also suggested making CAT an international exam and conducting it multiple times a year. 

Dheeraj Sharma stated that IIMs can develop ‘CAT Corporation’, which can be resided in one of the Indian Institutes of Management and be chaired by each of them periodically. Currently, the CAT national-level exam is conducted only in English medium.

The Director of IIM-Rohtak, mentioned, “CAT corporation can not only allow the facility of taking the test in Indian languages but also in Arabic, Persian, Sinhalese, Nepalese, Burmese, and Thai. It has the potential of becoming an international organisation that can offer the test to interested candidates multiple times a year.”

“The score can be used by even international institutions, at least in the neighbourhood of India. This can probably help in attracting international students to study management in India,” he added.

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Furthermore, last month, Sharma had suggested holding CAT in multiple languages, however, as per the sources, the IIMs are yet to discuss conducting CAT in regional languages. 

Prof MP Ram Mohan, Chairperson of admissions at IIM-Ahmedabad, stated that CAT is known as a joint exercise of a total of six IIMs. Any change, like conducting the exam in regional languages, will have to be reviewed with all the parties concerned while also evaluating the scope and competence, availability of teaching faculty and staff at IIMs, as well as, how students of other states adopt the decision. It should be examined well as any hasty decision may not be acceptable.

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Sharma also believed holding CAT in regional languages has the power to enhance the economy of India, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. It is most likely that future economic growth in India is supported in rural and semi-urban situations. A deeper knowledge of the context and regional language will be a bonus for the management graduates.

IIM-Rohtak director, highlighted, “I believe that the English language is a skill that can be honed in the IIM system but may not necessarily be an excluding criteria for those not in possession of that skill, at least at the entry-level. 

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“To start with, CAT can be conducted in a few of the scheduled languages in addition to English, and based on the response from the applicants, more scheduled languages can be added to the examination,” he further stated.

In addition, Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM-Nagpur, disclosed, “The National Education Policy focuses on enabling access to quality education and lowering entry barriers for all. Therefore, the ultimate objective should be to ensure that language does not become an obstacle in the delivery of higher education. Such removal of language-related barriers in education will further the march towards a new India.”

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