Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:55 pm Post subject: Feb 2006 - IIMI GD/PI Experience
IIM-Indore Group Discussion / Interview
Interview date : 14th February
Time : 2:00 PM
Venue : IIM-Bangalore
Before reaching the venue :
Last minute photocopying of IIM-I form and IIM-B form. Today also, Manikandan dropped me at the venue. We had lunch in a hotel called 'Status' right opposite the IIM-B campus.
Before I went to IIM-I interview spot :
Went to the admissions office of IIM-B. Had to submit the form of IIM-B. An elderly person accepted the form. Just by looking at my blank face, he construed that I came to submit the form and asked me for the same !
IIM-I interview spot :
I was comparitvely more nervous today. Was I feeling sick ? I actually felt if I had contacted some temperature.
Met two people from my interview in IIM-K. Friendly catching-up. How are you ... How was your week types ...
All of us were asked to wait in 1 classroom. There were 24 of us. 22 guys and 2 girls. I suppose the girls must have felt that they had gatecrashed into a fraternity party !! 4 guys from IIT-Madras hostel. One person was actually filling up the interview form in the venue. Some guts !!
Roll Call :
We were divided into 3 groups. Each group had 8 candidates. Profile of candidates in my panel :
1. A pretty girl.
2. An IIT-M chap. He has already got a fellowship admit from Cornell University for his Ph.D. He has got 6 IIM calls. Wondering what to select .... Had pros and cons for each route.
3. A chap who had a single call from IIM-I. The fire in his belly to convert his one call was tangible.
4. A short chap from Bihar or Orissa.
5. A guy who is working in Infosys, Bangalore campus. Born in Jharkhand, school junior of Dhoni (cricket chap) and college education in Kerala.
6. Another IIT-M chap. He found it a little tough to air his opinion in the GD
7. Do not remember
8. Me
GD:
We were called in and assigned seats. I was sitting in the 7th position. Case study GD. Centered around ethics. A person who has to inspect and approve the conditions of dairies. One particular dairy - very dirty/unhygienic conditions ... bad machinery. He cannot give a bad rating because corruption was prevalent, a boss who would never give a bad rating to a dairy (because he had joined newly), his company is in a cost cutting mode and is trying to give VRS to its employees, the employees of the dairy will go up in arms if a bad rating is given.
We were given prior intimation that each person will have to WRITE down her/his own summary and submit it to the panel at the end of the discussion.
Not an agro GD. Pretty peaceful. I got to start the GD !! I have done it only once in my past in a mock GD in Ascent. Talked about ethics again and again - the panel might have watched out for it. Was able to give newer perspectives. The group agreed with me on one count. Tried to move towards a conclusion.
I did pretty well in it. It would have been all the more relevant had I quoted the Manjunath - IIM Lucknow - which was a pretty parallel situation. My case hero was in Milk sector and Manjunath was in Petroleum sector. No issues. I hope I do not sound as if I am trying to capitalise on an unfortunate incident for my own benefit. It was a news which is relevant to the case on our hand.
GD ended. Panel asked all of us wait outside and not to go around. Reason : the candidates will be called in random. Not in the original order in which they were called for the GD.
10 minutes pass. Everybody is all ears wondering whom they are going to start with. I am called in. Panelist goes in. "All the best" chorus from the other 7 !
Interview:
2 panelists.
1st panelist starts asking. 2nd panelist is browsing through my certificates. Happily handed them over to him
Q: What is the meaning of your name?
A: Told.
Q: What is the meaning of the name Chennai?
A: Was not sure myself. Gave some fundas about the old Chennai Presidency .... which became the 4 states .... reason for Madras being renamed to Chennai.
Q: What are the important archeological sites in TN?
A: Rambled about Mahabaliburam ... Pallava kings building it .... 6 rathas .... 5 for Pandavas .... 1 for Draupadi .... some destroyed .... (A big hug to Srivatsan is due when I meet him next, for all these information that he had provided me)
Q: Any other archeological site?
A: Mmmm .... Tanjore Periya Koil.
Q: Anything else (he has something in mind ... but what ?!?)
A: mmm ... not able to think of others .... not sure
Q: How about Madurai Meenatchi temple?
A: Ya ... Ya ... It is a good temple/archeological site ...
Q: How many MPs from TN in Lok Sabha
A: 29 or 35
Q: mmm .... Which one?
A: 35
Q: Sure?
A: Yes (checked now. it was 39, not bad !)
Q: What are the parties in TN?
A: Told
Q: When is election coming?
A: Told
Q: CM of TN?
A: Told
Q: Which party?
A: Told
Q: What are the other small parties?
A: Told
Information Technology
Q: You talked about value chain more than once in the form. What is the value chain in IT
A: Drew. Seemed satisfied.
Q: Where does Infy and Wipro fit into this picture?
A: Told.
Q: Why is China more productive than India in IT. Do you know their productivity indices?
A: Do not know the numbers as such. But, it depends on the type of work we do. They are into manufacturing which is about replication. We are into higher end/research/software development to which no strict timelines can be drawn.
1st panelist is done with his set of questions. 2nd panelist takes over. 1st panelist browses through my certificates.
Tech stuff.
Q: What is mobile computing?
A: Told
Q: Give examples
A: Told
Q: Why is Centrino called a mobile processor whereas Pentium is not
A: Dunno (but blabbered just so that he realizes that I atleast know that it is a Intel chip based on which they have even changed their slogan)
Q: Give some mobile computing protocols
A: Dunno
Q: Heard of bluetooth and infrared?
A: Yeah. But not sure.
Q: What is the difference b/w them?
A: Not sure. Think they operate at different frequencies .... Dunno.
Q: What is a hotspot?
A: Dunno. Have not heard of it.
Moves over to telecom. Now I am pretty happy. Had attended a seminar only on sunday by Kedar Nath at Ascent. Ascent is the only institute which conducts these knowledge transition sessions after CAT and before the interviews. No other institute in the CAT/GD-PI preparation space does it. Bless the institute !
Q: How many mobile phones in India?
A: Told
Q: How are they divided?
A: Told about GSM and CDMA division. Told I do not know about Airtel/Hutch/Reliance breakup
Q: What is the difference b/w GSM and CDMA.
A: Told (Giving a hug to Baskar mentally - for having told the funda on sunday)
Q: What is Access Deficit Charge.
A: Told (Giving a big big bear hug to Kedar. He may not want to be anywhere near me today !!!)
Q: Why GSM and CDMA conflict?
A: Told that infrastructure is a main reason for the GSM players not giving in to CDMA even though it is superior.
Q: Is infrastructure the only reason?
A: Dunno
Q: Can a GSM phone used as a CDMA one?
A: Dunno
Q: What are the countries which are into GSM and those which are into CDMA?
A: Dunno
Sorry Baskar, you might have talked about the last 3 questions ... but, it just did not strike me.
Thank you. You may go.
I ask : Your good names please (very amicably)
They say : No problem. It does not matter.
Thank you (bulb mama !!!)
Gave a brief of what was asked to those eagerly waiting outside. Wished all the best to the lady and the gentlemen and walked out.
i hope i can call u that!!!!!!!!
it was great to read ur experience...i got a lot hepl from them
but can you please tell me why the questions related to mobile computing were asked to you?
is it something related to your qualification?
all the best for rest of your interviews.
tell me your percentile also if you dnt mind
I am not too sure why mobile computing cropped up. Two possibilities (1) It has been listed as an elective that I took in the final year of my course. (2) Prof knew about Mobile computing ;-( It was pretty evident that he DID ! (In the same lines as the response to your other post)
Thanks a tonne ! How many calls have you landed ??? How have your interviews been ??? Do let know. All the best !
