'Purely merit based': IIM Professor defends Navya Nanda's admission

Navya Naveli Nanda, granddaughter of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, has enrolled in the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad for an online MBA program. The 26-year-old shared her excitement about joining the Blended Post Graduate Programme (BPGP) through an Instagram post on Sunday night, calling it a "dream come true."

However, her announcement sparked online criticism, with some users questioning the legitimacy of the course and speculating whether her admission was influenced by her famous family background. Some even suggested the possibility of a quota.

In response, IIM Ahmedabad’s Associate Professor Promila Agarwal addressed the controversy on social media. Agarwal clarified that IIM-A does not offer quotas for any of its programs and confirmed that Nanda was admitted based on merit, having cleared the necessary cut-offs and interviews. She emphasized that Nanda has a "solid CV" and deserved her place in the program.

Agarwal also highlighted the rigorous selection process for the BPGP, which includes an online admission test or valid CAT, GMAT, or GRE scores, followed by a personal interview, noting that the acceptance rate for this program is as competitive as for other IIM-A courses.