Did Navya Naveli Nanda get into IIM-Ahmedabad through a quota? IIM professor answers

An IIM-Ahmedabad professor took to X on Monday to set the record straight on Navya Naveli Nanda’s admission to IIMA's online MBA.

Updated on: Sep 3, 2024, 22:47:01 IST

By Sanya Jain

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Navya Naveli Nanda, the granddaughter of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, has joined the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad for an online MBA. Nanda, 26, announced her admission to the premier management institute in an Instagram post Sunday night, calling it a dream come true.

IIM-A professor Promila Agrawal (L) commented on Navya Naveli Nanda's MBA program.

Her post, however, was soon inundated with uncharitable comments about how her course is not “a real MBA.” Hundreds of people confessed they were surprised that a star kid got through a highly selective Indian institute for higher studies, and many more pointed out that Navya Nanda’s Blended Post Graduate Programme (BPGP) is different from IIM Ahmedabad’s flagship MBA programme.

(Also read: Navya Nanda to study at IIM Ahmedabad: What is BPGP MBA, course fee, duration and other details)

Some even wondered whether the 26-year-old had gotten through the institute on a quota.

IIM Ahmedabad professor defends Navya Nanda

An IIM Ahmedabad professor took to X on Monday to set the record straight on Nanda’s admission. Promila Agarwal, an associate professor at IIM-A, responded to an X user who asked whether Nanda had gotten through on NRI or management quota.

Agarwal dismissed this allegation by saying IIM-A does not have a quota for any programme, and that Nanda cleared the cut off and interview like every other candidate. She also said the 26-year-old had a “solid CV.”

“Don’t insult IIMA by assuming that we have any quota for any program, cut off & interview for this one,” she wrote.

Agarwal later defended Navya Nanda against trolls.

“The acceptance rate for this program is low, like others. Even if people want to discount her interview & CV. She, dammit, cleared the cut-off,” the IIM professor wrote. “For a long time, India has been debating why elite families move out of India for higher education. Why don't they study in Indian colleges? One lady makes it to IIMA for an online MBA & everyone is worked up,” Agarwal added.

(Also read: IIM Ahmedabad professor says Navya Naveli Nanda has a 'solid CV' - but with a caveat)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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