Clarify CAT cut-offs, registration fee for PwD applicants; extend application deadline: PSF to TISS

NEW DELHI: The students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have urged the administration to extend the registration period, clarify CAT cut-offs and registration fee for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates, and allow new registrations. The Progressive Students’ Forum wrote to TISS highlighting several issues concerning the admission process for three master's programmes at TISS through the CAT exam.

In a letter to the admissions committee at TISS, the student forum said, “For the past two years, TISS has been making multiple changes to the admission process, which has also raised many issues among students and applicants. We are writing to bring to your attention some pressing concerns regarding the admission process for three Master's programs at TISS through the CAT exam.”

The PSF called for immediate attention to ensure fairness and accessibility, particularly for applicants from the PwD category.

TISS has decided to accept CAT scores for admission to three of its postgraduate programmes for the 2025-26 academic year: Master of Arts in Human Resource Management and Labour Relations (HRM and LR), Master of Arts in Organisation Development, Change and Leadership, and Master of Hospital Administration.

TISS admissions through CAT

The student body raised four key issues regarding PwD admissions to MBA programmes through CAT:

Lack of Clarity on PWD Cut-Off: The admissions criteria mention CAT percentile cut-offs for various categories, but there is no specific mention of cut-off requirements for PWD candidates. This ambiguity has caused confusion and concern among prospective students.

Insufficient Information on Registration Fees for PWDs: The fee structure on the registration portal does not specify whether there are any fee concessions or adjustments for PWD applicants, leaving students in the dark about potential financial support.

Inadequate Time for Registration: With the CAT results declared on December 19th and the registration deadline set for December 23rd, students feel rushed in completing the admission process, leaving little time to make informed decisions or prepare necessary documents.

No Provision for New Registrations: According to the letter, the registration portal fails to allow new applicants to register. When attempting to do so, the system displays a message stating that the "last date for registration is over," despite the admissions calendar indicating that December 23rd is the final date for both registration and application fee payment.

In light of these issues, the student organisation has urged TISS to take immediate action:

• Extend the registration deadline beyond December 23 to provide prospective students with sufficient time to apply.
• Clarify the CAT percentile cut-offs for PWD candidates to eliminate confusion and ensure transparency.
• Provide clear details about the registration fees applicable to PWD applicants.
• Keep the registration portal open to accommodate new registrations as per the official admissions calendar.

PSF hoped for swift action from the administration to resolve these challenges and facilitate a smoother and more inclusive admission process.