**Executive Summary**
This document is the official response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education to a set of questions raised in Lok Sabha concerning the increase in Common Admission Test (CAT) fees. The response was issued on December 1, 2025. It addresses concerns about the fee increase, mechanisms for economically disadvantaged students, and the non-refundable nature of the CAT exam fee.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Governance of IIMs:** The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are governed by the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, and are empowered to determine fees.
* **CAT Fee Structure and Increase:**
* The IIMs conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) on a self-financing basis.
* The CAT application fees in 2025 are ₹2,600 for General/OBC candidates and ₹1,300 for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PWBD).
* In 2021, the application fee was ₹2,200 for general/OBC and ₹1,100 for SC, ST, and PwBD applicants.
* **Fee Determination:** The CAT application fee is decided annually to cover administrative, logistical, and operational costs.
* **Fee for SC/ST/PwBD Candidates:** The CAT application fee for SC, ST, and PwBD students is half the fee amount for general students.
* **Non-Refundable Fees:** The CAT application fee is non-refundable. Fees are used to cover the logistics and arrangements for the CAT exam, which are planned based on the number of candidates who have submitted their application forms and paid the exam fees.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: CAT Aspirants (General/OBC)**
* **Impact:** Pay a higher application fee of ₹2,600 in 2025, compared to ₹2,200 in 2021. The fee is non-refundable.
* **Action Required:** Be aware of the increased fee and the non-refundable policy before applying for the CAT exam.
**Stakeholder: CAT Aspirants (SC/ST/PwBD)**
* **Impact:** Pay a higher application fee of ₹1,300 in 2025, compared to ₹1,100 in 2021. The fee remains half of that paid by General/OBC candidates. The fee is non-refundable.
* **Action Required:** Be aware of the increased fee and the non-refundable policy before applying for the CAT exam.
**Stakeholder: IIMs**
* **Impact:** Retain autonomy in setting fees as per the IIM Act, 2017 and need to cover the costs of CAT through these fees.
* **Action Required:** Annually determine the CAT fee to cover administrative, logistical, and operational costs.
Key Entities Referenced
Common Admission Test (CAT): A self-financing management entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs): Management institutions empowered to determine, specify, and receive payments of fees and other charges.
Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017: Act governing the IIMs, empowering them to determine fees.
Ministry of Education: The ministry answering questions regarding CAT fees and IIM governance.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 18
ANSWERED ON 1.12.2025
Increase in Common Admission Test (CAT) Fees
18. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi:
Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that the CAT application fees have increased by
approximately 5 per cent as compared to last year, amounting to 31 per cent increase from
2021 to 2025, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the reasons for this repeated increase in the CAT exam fee in the recent years;
(c) whether the Government is considering any mechanisms to ensure that economically
disadvantaged students are not affected by the increased fees, and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government is aware that the CAT exam fee is non-refundable under any
circumstances, if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government is considering refund options for candidates who do not appear
for the said exam, if so, the details thereof?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (e): The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are governed under the Indian
Institutes of Management Act, 2017 as amended from time to time. Under the Act, the IIMs
are empowered to determine, specify and receive payments of fees and other charges. The
IIMs conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) on self-financing basis. The CAT
application fees in 2025 are 2,600 for General/OBC candidates and ₹ 1,300 for candidates
belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Persons with Benchmark Disabilities
(PWBD). In the year 2021, this application fee was ₹ 2,200 for general/OBC and ₹ 1,100 for
SC, ST and PwBD applicants. The CAT application fee is decided every year to cover theadministrative, logistical, and operational costs involved in conducting the exam in that year
on a national scale. The CAT application fee for SC, ST, and PwBD students are kept as half
of the fee amount for General students. The fee is non-refundable as the logistics and
arrangements for the CAT exam are planned based on the number of candidates who have
submitted their application forms and paid the exam fees. This includes organizing venues,
scheduling, and preparing the necessary resources for each candidate. Therefore, if a
candidate decides not to attend the exam after all these arrangements are made, the fees
cannot be refunded, as it would not be feasible to reverse the extensive planning and resource
allocation already completed.
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