G.D.

Topics

1) Joint Family
2) Couple employed
3) Privatization of education
4) Impact of globalization
5) Technology advantesement
6) Privatization in general
7) Privatization in hostels
8) Privatization in hospitals
9) Telecommunication
10) India post
11) Co-education
12) Media of instructions
13) Media of communication
14) Computerization
15) Electricity
16) Nationalization of rivers
17) Privatization
18) Banking
19) Insurance
20) Coolitation government
21) Terrorism
22) Scientific innovation
23) Indutrilization
24) Agriculture (Devolopement)
25) Radio
26) National integrity
27) National flag
28) Hotel
29) Hobby
30) Photography
31) Dreams
32) Dowry
33) Seasons (summer,winter,spring)
34) Cyclone
35) Life
36) War
37) Shopping
38) One day in desert
39) Favorite leader
40) Morning walk
41) On my examination results day
42) Love marriages and fixed marriages
43) Population explosion
44) Generation gap
45) Joint family system
46) Environmental pollution
47) Seniour citizens
48) Habits
49) India today
50) Indias Festivels
51) Transfort
52) First aid
53) Food and nutrition
54) Habit
55) Snowing violence & crimes should not be allowed in Films & T.V ?
56) Is dependence on computer a good thing
57) Management education: Is it necessary to business.
58) Fresher prefer brand name or money.
59) Should politicians need minimum qualification.
60) Do beauty and brain go together
61) Balance between professionalism and family.
62) Younger generation is more practical than the older generation
63) English should be macle the official language.
64) Women should have equal rights like men.
65) Electronic media is more beneficial than print media.
66) India needs a strong Dictator.
67) Daughters are more caring than sons.
68) Managers are born, not trained.
69) Education in India & the lack of it.
70) Listening is an important as speaking.
71) Indian villages – our strength or our weakness.
72) Bonning of tobacco & Alcohol advertisement. Is it justified.
73) Position of women in India compared to other Nation.
74) Love Marriages or arrange Marriages which is better.
75) Is dependence on computers a good thing.
76) Divorce & remarriage should be encouraged.
77) How safe to work in call centers at night for girls.
78) Globalization advantages & Disadvantages.
79) Abolish the child labours.
80) Brain – drain.
81) Advantages of co-education.
82) Child Marriages.
83) Phone’s – It’s useful or not.
84) Smoking is an ill.
85) Is technology is useful.
86) Independence day.
87) Farmers.
88) Books(reading).
89) Photography.
90) Television.
91) Festivals in India.
92) Uses of drinking water & Lack of water in Inclia.
93) How to avoid Unemployment.
94) Politics.
95) Impact on cell phones
96) Impact on media.
97) Cinema.
98) Terrorism.
99) Education in children.
100) Impact on Raging.
101) Computers.
102) Studies in corporate Colleges.
103) How to control overpopulation in India.
104) Agriculture in villages.
105) Impact on human resources.
106) Pollution.
107) Equality in India.
108) Reservation System in India.
109) Impact on Communication in families & friends.
110) Poverty.
111) How to avoid untouchability.
112) Women reservation System in India.
113) Impact on cinemas.
114) Impact o T.V.
115) Traffic Control.
116) Impact on Equality in India.
117) Impact on Education.
118) Impact on poverty.
119) Computers
120) Environment.
121) Pollution.
122) Political Leaders.
123) Impact on Cricket, Hockey.
124) Human Resources.
125) Hospitals & Medicines.
126) Agriculture in Villages.
127) Education in children.
128) Construction of Dams.
129) English Language.
130) Who is prone to fashion easily Men or Women.
131) Is 33% women reservation bill Discriminatory.
132) Should India make Nuclear Bomb.
133) No two generations would see eye to eye.
134) Between nosteller and day scholar who is better placed.
135) Strikes are necessary.
136) Dowry is a curse or boon.
137) Computers are welcome.
138) 21st centuary will be a great one for India.
139) Should there be a ban on smoking in open places else – where in India
as in Kerala.
140) Medium of instruction.
141) The experiment of coalition will not succeed.
142) Should there be prohibition.
143) Co – education is it desirable or not desirable.
144) Are doctor’s siable for prosecution under CPA
145) Who is a greater culprit the man who accepts bribe or the man who
offers.
146) Are we to delete article 356 or retain.
147) Both Judiciary and legislature must exerciserestraind.
148) Restoring normalcy in Kashmir is a pipe-dream.
149) Should a foreign born naturalized Indian hold high officer in India.
150) Is IRA bill an important milestone in Indian financial sector.
151) Which is more importent – hard work or intelligence
152) In which sector should Govt spend more – education (or) helth care.
153) Is SUICIDE a clime.
154) What decides a men’s future – his FATE or own efferts.
155) Should we change the present system of education in our country.
156) Rural development is the right answer to our unemployment pleslem.
157) Men is born free but he is in chains every where.
158) Whether students should take part in politics.
159) Whether computer should be a compelsary subject in schools.
160) Should there be prescribed eduction standed for entry into politics.
161) What is the solution to end terrorism, strick on terrorists or
political/diplomatic approach.
162) Do you agree that there is a bright scope for tourism industry in India.
163) Do you support the disinrestment policy of the government.
164) Democracy in India a success or a failure.
165) Reservation in private sector reserve or reverse.
166) Women are good managers.
167) Education in India.
168) 100 crores + population but just only one Medal.
169) Globalization.
170) Position of women in India compared to pther nations.
171) Responsibility of politicians.
172) Suggestions to develop this nation.
173) Effects of movies on youth.
174) Opinion on present day love.
175) Western culture on Indian youth.
176) Elimination of Rahul Dravid from Indian Cricket Team.
177) Seperation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
 178) Will cinestars be succeded in politics?
179) T20 Vs One day cricket.
180) Youth into politics.
181) Bribeless Society.
182) Role of English in daily life.
183) Earning while learning.
184) Corruptionless socity.
185) Earning while lerning.
186) Radar.
187) Has Science proved a Boon or curse to Humanity ?
188) Should we change the present system of education in our country.
189) What is most helpful for men’s success in life knowledge, power or
wealth.
190) Should promotions be based on seniority or merit ?
191) Should India stick to the policy of non alignmentn ?
192) Should tests like lectures Group discussions and interview cease to be
conducted in English and be done in Hindi in the services selection
Boards.
193) Which of the services do you prefer Army, Naccy, Air force ?
194) Has Relaxation of Gold control improved our Economic stability.
195) Does the History of India need to be Recuritent.
196) Is presidential democracy superior to Parlimentary Democracy.
197) Indian leaders should denote themselves to the solution of National
problems instead of trying to Build India’s image abroad.
198) Which is beneficiate for a student . boarding or day School.
199) The exploration of space is an advantage to man ?
200) Should land in India be Nationalised ?
201) Uniform.

Ready a ‘battle plan’ for GD

After getting a call from IIMs or other B-Schools one is left with 3-4 weeks
before the GD and interview and it’s advisable to be prepared for D-Day.
It is that time of the IIMs and the other B-school will be sending out calls to
those who have won the battle against the paper.
But beware! For this is not the time to rest on your laurels, rather, it is time to
pull up your socks, pull out all stops and redouble your efforts. Once the call is
received, one is left with three to four weeks before the group discussion (GD) and
the personal interview.
Since it is always advisable for one to be pre-prepared than post-prepared, let
us talk about what one must need to do to ensure that you are ready to fight the
next battle.
Since the GDs and interviews happen after the institutions have already
assessed your aptitude and skills, it might help to understand what is being looked
for.
Three attributes
 The top three attributes that will make a difference are – ability to do justice
for the course. (read ‘will he pass the course’), employability after the MBA
programme and career prospects.
With that in mind, let us look at the GDs and interviews:
The GD is where 10-15 students will be put together, given a topic, or a
short story (case study ) expected to express their ideas and views in about 15
minutes. Let’s look at what the B-Schools expect to test in such a scenario.
Awareness
It is relatively easy to memorise facts. Memory is compulsory, comprehension
is optional. But, to participate meaningfully in a GD you need to have a clear
understanding of what the facts mean. So spend your time catching up on
important topics. You could try to acquire a list of past topics from any of the Cat
training centers.
Communication
The next step is to communicate with clarity. If you are worried about fluency in
English or accents, relax. You are aiming at a ‘he makes sense’ kind of response ,
not a ‘he speaks so well’ but what exactly does he mean .’ Use simple language
and short sentences. Do understand that GDs tend to be extremely chaotic with six
word average sentences. So come to the point directly before you get interrupted.
Tactics
However, certain tactics are important. For one, getting a chance to speak is
critical. Don’t wait for complete silence for you start speaking. You have to interrupt
somebody and grab your chances, but how and when you do it is very important.
Time your interruption towards the end of some one’s point, speak loud and
clear (but don’t speak fast),make sure you start with some power behind your voice
and make eye contact with different participants; don’t speak only to one person.
Leadership
Leadership in the GD is about intellectual leadership.Can you guide the GD
towards a meaningful discussion of the topic? It’s about introducing new ways of
looking at the topic, and leading a group towards a consensus.
Remember, GD’s rarely if ever reach a consensus. However, the process of
going towards a consensus is all important. Remember leadership is not a choice
that you make. You become a leader, if the group voluntarily chooses to follow you.
How you carry yoursely in the group (your body language, your choice of
words, etc.): Remember that a GD is a formal occasion and make sure your
behaviour is propriate. B-school are testing your attitude, maturity
etc.The way you handle pressure in chaotic situation, handling disagreements,
listening skills are all tested. Take a balanced view of the topic and be willing to
look at different points of view. Wild allegations, impractical suggestions, personal
attacks etc clearly highlight your lack of maturity.
Interviews
I know that the very mention of the word ‘interview’ bring about a fear of being
brutalized by an essentially hostile panel looking to rip you apart. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Except for a relatively rare case of ‘stress interview’ where
the candidate is deliberately put under stress, most interviews are friendly affairs
where the panel seeks to put the candidate at ease. This is done to ensure that th
ey are able to elicit natural response. The questioning and evaluation is done on
the following parameters.
Experience/knowledge
The focus is on whether you have a holistic view of the organization that you
work for or of the field of study that you have chosen (di you see the big picture?)
Also, whether you have attention to detail and can understand and explain the
various issus related to your area of specialization.
Career planning
They are looking at things like short term and long term career goals. A
simple question like “Why management?” can cause a lot of headache if pursued
over a few minutes.
General awareness
The focus is on concept level understanding whether the question is on
Bubble sort or NALCO privatization. It is how you use information to create credible
arguments.
Personality
How well do you know yourself? Awareness of your personality traits,
strengths weaknesses can help you use them to best advantage in your career.
Hobbies
B schools like to believe that they select candidates with all round ability
rather than plain ‘muggus’. There fore you might need to identify your areas of
special interest, review your knowledge of these areas.
Tips
An interview is about ‘you’. So don’t look at readymade answers to questions.
Please remember that the panel wishes to know you better, so start with knowing
yourself better.
Understand the fact that preparation is required and that it will take time. So
don’t leave it for the last minute. Most importantly question yourself. Understand
any answer sounds good unless it is tested. Most trouble is caused by
supplementary questions. For example let’s look at apossible scenario:

Q. Mr . Rohit, as a software engineer with some experience, why would you

like to study management?
A. Sir, while I have a strong background as a technical person, I feel that my
career prospects would be better if can add management skills and be a techno
MBA. (applause, good answer)

Q. Define techno MBA?(Bong!)

A. Sir, a person having technical skills as well as management skills.

Q. But, Rohit, would you need all these skills. If it is simply a case of more the
merrier, why not add, medical, fire fighting and culinary skills as well. And so on….
IIM Group Discussion (GD) - Skills Evaluated
Group discussion is an important dimension of the selection process. Any institute
requires students to work with others for effective functioning. Therefore, people
skills are an important aspect of any MBA program.

In today's context, the educational institutes and organizations are interested in

team players rather than individual contributors. During the Group Discussion, the
panel essentially evaluates the candidate's potential to be a leader and also his/her
ability to work in teams. Remember that institutes are typically on the look out for
candidates who will inspire to lead and succeed and for that you need to be a good
team player.

Here is a sample list of skills assessed during a group discussion:

Leadership skills:
Ability to take leadership roles and ability to lead, inspire and carry the team along
to help them achieve group's objectives.
Example: To be able to initiate the group discussion, or to be able to guide the
group especially when the discussion begins losing relevance or try to encourage
all members to participate in the discussion.

Communication skills:
The participating candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought,
expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a
willingness to accommodate others views.
Example: To be able to use simple language and explain concepts clearly so that it
is easily understood by all. You actually get negative marks for using esoteric
jargons in an attempt to show-off your knowledge.

Interpersonal skills:
Is reflected in the ability of the individual to interact with other members of the group
in a brief situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal
relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered.
Example: To remain cool even when someone provokes you with personal
comment, ability to remain objective, ability to empathize, non-threatening and
more of a team player.

Persuasive skills:
Ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem from multiple
perspectives without hurting the group members.
Example: While appreciating someone else's point of view, you should be able to
effectively communicate your view without overtly hurting the other person.
Problem solving skills:
Ability to come out with divergent and offbeat solutions and use one's own
creativity.
Example: While thinking of solutions, don't be afraid to think of novel solutions.
This is a high- risk high-return strategy.

Conceptualizing skills:
The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day to day mundane problem level
and apply it to a macro level.
Example: At the end of the discussion, you could probably summarize the findings
in a few sentences that present the overall perspective.

Don't be disheartened if you did not do well in your first group discussion.
The best possible preparation for a group discussion is to learn from one's
past mistakes...

TO EXPERIENCE IT LIVE WITH ASSITANCE FROM IIM GRADS CLICK HERE

Articles

GD Mantra

The first thing in an MBA exam is to qualify the written test. After that group
discussions (better known as "dog eat dog round") and personal interview (throwing
a young innocent in the den of lions) starts. In this article an IIM-C alumnus
demystifies all the myths about GD and Interviews.

“6 years ago I remember, when I received my first call I was ecstatic, and then
suddenly time started to whizz past. There was so much to prepare and so little
time. The euphoria soon gave way to anxiety and nervousness. Today, when I look
back I realize that the GDs and the Interviews were far tougher than the Written
Test. They tested your presence of mind, the depth of your knowledge, your
communication skills and your ability to argue logically. They set apart the boys
from the men (or the girls from the women as the case may be).
I shall try and give some funda on how one approaches these selection methods.
Let's start with the Group Discussion. Typically the group is given a topic or a case
for discussion by the panel.

The topics could be categorized thus:

1. Economic, Current Affairs and Political Issues.
2. Ethical and Moral Dilemmas, Social Issues
3. General Topics
The topics are controversial in nature and are meant to give rise to heated
arguments. It is the proverbial 'bone thrown to the dogs'.
The panel is looking essentially at 3 things:
 1. how well a candidate presents his/her views on the topics
2. how much originality he/she brings to the discussion
3. the extent of the students knowledge
This seems pretty general information. However, the truth is that in the heat of a
discussion the students very often forget these basic points and end up taking
criticism very personally. It is key to remember that this is a discussion where the
various aspects of the issue must be examined before arriving at any conclusion.
The truth however is that most candidates turn it into personal crusades, and not
only reduce their own chances but also the chances of their group members.
Students often ask me how the panel evaluates GDs. Well, the truth is that it is a
very subjective evaluation and therefore difficult to quantify. At the same time there
are definite no-nos and anyone who indulges in these activities shows him/herself
in a verv poor light.

The Don’ts of any GD.

1) The Strong and Silent types - It may be golden elsewhere but here all it shows is
you're wooden.
2) The Definers - While this is a key aspect in certain topics to ensure that the
scope of. the topic is charted out, many people make definitions the issue.
3) The Screamers - It's very often necessary, to raise one's voice to get heard over
the crowd but to sustain that vocal pitch for 20 minutes can be quite suicidal!
4) The Bluffers - It is a common tendency to quote figures for the sake of quoting
them. If your bluff is caught during the GD it could well end your chances. Also
remember there is an interview to follow and that the panel may decide to quiz you
on the facts then.
5) The Leaders - Since you do not have anything to say you keep trying to give
others a chance without actually saying anything meaningful yourself.
6) The Organizers - Remember, the Competition Success Review model of GDs is
a strict NO NO
7) The Questioners (who object to other peoples arguments) - While that is the aim
of the GD, saying "Why?" or "Why not?" and never bothering to elucidate the
reason for challenging the argument is not advisable.
8) Patronisers - These are people who have a very condescending attitude towards
their fellow members.
9) The Non-Listeners - they typically end up repeating the same point or arguing
with people who are on the same side Listening is as key as speaking in a GD.
10) Ramblers - they have one idea which they repeat time and again. The better
ones keep changing the semantics, the bad ones say the same things again and
again. The fact remains that all of us at different points of time have played each of
these roles. So, do not read this and say "Ya, Amar is the rambler, Laaloo is the
patroniser” and so on, for while they may probably do it more often than you, there
are specific occasions when you have acted in a similar manner.

Here is a list of probable topics that you may be required to speak on. Try working
out some points on them.
1) India does not need MNCs
2) Advertising is wasteful and unnecessary in a third world country like India.
3) India should go nuclear
4) The South-East Asia Economic Crisis
5) The Grass is greener on the other side
6) Pornography is an art form and therefore should not be censored.

Questions that make many students paranoid.

1) How many times should I speak ?
Well. there is no fixed number of times that you have to speak. 3-4 times is
optimum, but even if you speak just once and speak sense it counts more than
speaking 3 times and saying nonsense.
2) Starting the GD gives me an advantage, doesn't it?
If you speak well, you're at an advantage. If you don't then it clearly shows that you
are not well-prepared- just an eager beaver. You have 20 minutes to make your
points so there’s no need to panic if you can’t start!
3) I must speak for or against the issue; is that the case?
Wrong! Most people conclude the GD before their first sentence by saying "I think
that art movies are boring and should be banned". It would help if you tried to raise
a few points for discussion before jumping to conclusions. "do not jump to
conclusions or they may jump on you. "
4) If everybody is shouting then I too must start shouting, right?
Very often at GDs, the whole group starts shouting and each one blames it on the
other. You could join in, but then if you've been at GDs, you'll realize that there are
times when the group hits a crescendo and then there's a sudden lull. This probably
is the best time to enter the discussion. You must at least make the effort to get
yourself heard though there is no reason to shout.
5) Should I say “excuse me” before I interrupt someone.
No!! You are speaking as a matter of right and therefore there is no need to
apologize for interrupting someone if you think that he has had his say and you
have a point to make. Just get straight to the point. Please do not say stuff like "as
my learned friend said" and other such niceties.
6) Do I need to give an introduction before I get to the point?
Please don't! Remember that there more people who are waiting to speak and want
concrete points not long-winded introductions. It is in your interest to get to the crux
of the matter.
7) What's the difference between aggressiveness and assertiveness?
People who use aggression meaningfully are called assertive and those who use it
meaninglessly are called aggressive. The assertive person is using aggression to
take the discussion further whereas the aggressive person invariably uses it for
greater noticeability alone. Of course, the dividing line is very thin.

One last thing ... do try and look at the issues from both sides. Most people tend to
take the view which is most widely accepted. They also tend to bring their personal
likes/dislikes into the GD. This very often is detrimental because:
l) If you happen to be the 3rd speaker, you may find that your points have already
been taken up and you have nothing to say.
2) When you bring your personal bias into an issue, you are unlikely to encourage a
view contrary to yours which would help the group look at a topic more objectively.
I hope this clarifies most doubts you have about GDs. In the second part, I’ll deal
with the Dos and Don’ts at the interviews. All the best

Types of GD

GDs can be topic-based or case-based.

Topic based Gds can be classified into three types :-

1. Factual Topics
2. Controversial Topics
3. Abstract Topics
Factual Topics:-

Factual topics are about practical things, which an ordinary person is aware of in
his day-to-day life. Typically these are about socio-economic topics. These can be
current, i.e. they may have been in the news lately, or could be unbound by time. A
factual topic for discussion gives a candidate a chance to prove that he is aware of
and sensitive to his environment.
E.g. The education policy of India, Tourism in India, State of the aged in the nation.

Controversial Topics:-
Controversial topics are the ones that are argumentative in nature. They are meant
to generate controversy. In GDs where these topics are given for discussion, the
noise level is usually high, there may be tempers flying. The idea behind giving a
topic like this is to see how much maturity the candidate is displaying by keeping
his temper in check, by rationally and logically arguing his point of view without
getting personal and emotional.
E.g. Reservations should be removed, Women make better managers
Abstract Topics:-
Abstract topics are about intangible things. These topics are not given often for
discussion, but their possibility cannot be ruled out. These topics test your lateral
thinking and creativity.
E.g. A is an alphabet, Twinkle twinkle little star, The number 10
Case-based Gd:-
Another variation is the use of a case instead of a topic.
The case study tries to simulate a real-life situation. Information about the situation
will be given to you and you would be asked as a group to resolve the situation. In
the case study there are no incorrect answers or perfect solutions. The objective in
the case study is to get you to think about the situation from various angles.
IIM A, IIM Indore and IIT SOM Mumbai have a case-based discussion rather than
topic-based discussion in their selection procedures.
Why do we have GD ?

Reasons for having a GD

 It helps you to understand a subject more deeply.

 It improves your ability to think critically.
 It helps in solving a particular problem.
 It helps the group to make a particular decision.
 It gives you the chance to hear other students' ideas.
 It improves your listening skills.
 It increases your confidence in speaking.
 It can change your attitudes.

Strategies for Improving GD Skills for Tutorials & Seminars

Asking questions and joining in discussions are important skills for university study.
If you find it difficult to speak or ask questions in tutorials, try the following
strategies.
Observe
Attend as many seminars and tutorials as possible and notice what other students
do. Ask yourself:

 How do other students make critical comments?

 How do they ask questions?
 How do they disagree with or support arguments?
 What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are
voicing disagreement?
 How do they signal to interrupt, ask a question or make a point?

Practice
Start practicing your discussion skills in an informal setting or with a small group.
Start with asking questions of fellow students. Ask them about the course material.
Ask for their opinions. Ask for information or ask for help.
Participate
Take every opportunity to take part in social/informal discussions as well as more
structured/formal discussion. Start by making small contributions to tutorial
discussions; prepare a question to ask, or agree with another speaker's remarks.

Discussion Etiquette (or minding your manners)

Do

 Speak pleasantly and politely to the group.

 Respect the contribution of every speaker.
 Remember that a discussion is not an argument. Learn to disagree politely.
 Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer
the question/ contribute to the topic?
  Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information.
 Be aware of your body language when you are speaking.
 Agree with and acknowledge what you find interesting.

Don't

 Lose your temper. A discussion is not an argument.

 Shout. Use a moderate tone and medium pitch.
 Use too many gestures when you speak. Gestures like finger pointing and
table thumping can appear aggressive.
 Dominate the discussion. Confident speakers should allow quieter students a
chance to contribute.
 Draw too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors
encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to
generalise too much.
 Interrupt. Wait for a speaker to finish what they are saying before you speak.

Leading a Discussion
You may be in a seminar group that requires you to lead a group discussion, or
lead a discussion after an oral presentation. You can demonstrate leadership by:

 introducing yourself and the members of the group

 stating the purpose of the discussion
 inviting quiet group members to speak
 being objective
 summarizing the discussion

Chairing a Group Discussion

When chairing a discussion group you must communicate in a positive way to
assist the speakers in accomplishing their objective. There are at least four
leadership skills you can use to influence other people positively and help your
group achieve its purpose. These skills include:

 introducing the topic and purpose of the discussion,

 making sure all members have approximately the same time, (i.e. no one
dominates the discussion by taking too much time)
 thanking group members for their contribution
 being objective in summarizing the group's discussion and achievements

How to Face GD

A group discussion consists of:

1. Communication Skills
2. Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject
 3. Capability to co-ordinate and lead
4. Exchange of thoughts
5. Addressing the group as a whole
6. Thorough preparations

Communication Skills
The first aspect is one's power of expression. In a group discussion, a candidate
has to talk effectively so that he is able to convince others. For convincing, one has
to speak forcefully and at the same time create an impact by his knowledge of the
subject. A candidate who is successful in holding the attention of the audience
creates a positive impact.
It is necessary that you should be precise and clear. As a rule evaluators do not
look for the wordage produced. Your knowledge on a given subject, your precision
and clarity of thought are the things that are evaluated. Irrelevant talks lead you
nowhere. You should speak as much as necessary, neither more nor less. Group
discussions are not debating stages.
Ability to listen is also what evaluators judge. They look for your ability to react on
what other participants say. Hence, it is necessary that you listen carefully to others
and then react or proceed to add some more points. Your behavior in the group is
also put to test to judge whether you are a loner or can work in a group.
You should be able to convey your thoughts satisfactorily and convincingly before a
group of people. Confidence and level headedness in doing so is necessary. These
add value to your presentation. In case you are not good at it, you might gain by
joining an institute that offers specialized courses in public speaking. For instance,
British Council Division's English Language Teaching Centre offers a wide range of
courses like conversation skills, business communication skills, business writing,
negotiation skills and presentation skills. Mostly people attend these courses to
improve their communication skills. Students here are involved in activities which
use communication skills and teachers provide inputs, monitor and facilitate the
classes. The course at the Centre makes you confident enough to speak before
people without any nervousness.
Knowledge and Ideas Regarding a Given Subject

Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important.
Knowledge comes from consistent reading on various topics ranging from science
and technology to politics. In-depth knowledge makes one confident and
enthusiastic and this in turn, makes one sound convincing and confident.
Leadership and Coordinating Capabilities

The basic aim of a group discussion is to judge a candidate's leadership qualities.

The examiner withdraws and becomes a silent spectator once the discussion starts.
A candidate should display tactfulness, skill, understanding and knowledge on
varied topics, enterprise, forcefulness and other leadership qualities to motivate and
influence other candidates who may be almost equally competent.
Exchange of Thoughts

A group discussion is an exchange of thoughts and ideas among members of a

group. These discussions are held for selecting personnel in organisations where
there is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group can vary
between 8 and 15. Mostly a topic or a situation is given to group members who
have to discuss it within 10 to 20 minutes.
The purpose is to get an idea about candidates in a short time and make
assessments about their skills, which normally cannot be evaluated in an interview.
These skills may be team membership, leadership skills, listening and articulation
skills.
A note is made of your contributions to the discussion, comprehension of the main
idea, the rapport you strike, patience, assertion, accommodation, amenability, etc.
Body language and eye contact too are important points which are to be
considered. .
Addressing the Group as a Whole

In a group discussion it is not necessary to address anyone by name. Even

otherwise you may not know everyone's names. It better to address the group as a
whole.
Address the person farthest from you. If he can hear you everyone else too can.
Needless to add, as for the interview, attend the group discussion in formal dress.
The language used should also be formal, not the language used in normal
conversations. For instance, words and phrases like "yar", "chalta hai", "CP", "I
dunno", etc. are out. This is not to say you should use a high sounding, pedantic
language. Avoiding both, just use formal, plain and simple language. Hinglish,
(mixture of Hindi and English) should be discarded.
Confidence and coolness while presenting your viewpoint are of help. See that you
do not keep repeating a point. Do not use more words than necessary. Do not be
superfluous. Try to be specific. Do not exaggerate.

Thorough Preparation

Start making preparations for interview and group discussions right away, without
waiting till the eleventh hour, this is, if and when called for them. Then the time left
may not be adequate. It is important to concentrate on subject knowledge and
general awareness. Hence, the prime need for thorough preparation. Remember,
the competition is very tough. Only 460 candidates make it to the final list from 2.75
lakh civil service aspirants each year.
It may so happen that you are called for interviews and group discussions from
three or four organizations but are not selected by any. The reason obviously lies in
your not being well-prepared.
In a group discussion you may be given a topic and asked to express your views on
it. Or in a case study GD, students have to read a case study and suggest ways of
tackling the problem. For this you should have a good general knowledge, need to
be abreast with current affairs, should regularly read newspapers and magazines.
Your group behaviour and communication skills are on test, i.e. how you convince
the others and how clearly you are able to express your points of view. You should
be articulate, generate ideas, not sound boring, should allow others to speak, and
adopt a stand on a given subject. During the course of the GD this stand can even
be changed, giving the impression that you are open to accommodate others'
viewpoints.
Additional marks may be given for starting or concluding the discussion.
Points to Remember

 Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more

chances of success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like
politics, finance, economy, science and technology is helpful.
 Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out
among others.
 Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential quality.
 If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate. Lack
of knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you
might adopt the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be
you would be able to come up with a point or two later.
 A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided.
 A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to
expressing their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates
can exercise their choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral.
 Language use should be simple, direct and straight forward.
 Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing
your size, not by cutting others short.
 Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-
verbal gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating
someone's viewpoint speak of you positively.
 Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't
keep looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that
everyone feels you are speaking to him or her.

GD FAQ's

What is the normal duration of a GD?

A GD is generally of 15-20 minutes duration.
How many panel members are there to evaluate?
There are usually 3-4 panel members to evaluate.
Is there time given for preparation after the topic is given and before starting
the GD?
Usually some time (2-5 minutes) is given to collect one's thoughts, but there could
be instances when this does not happen, so it is best not to bank on this.
Should I address the panel or the group members?
Don't ever make the mistake of addressing the panel members. The GD is between
you and the other members, not the panel members. You must avoid even looking
at the panel members while the GD is in progress. Just ignore their existence.
What is the seating arrangement like?
It could be semi-circular, or circular, or seating along side a rectangular table,
depending upon the venue. It is best not to bother about trivial issues like this,
which you have no control over.
How should I address the other group members?
If you are initiating the discussion, you could do so by collectively addressing the
group as "Friends". Subsequently, you could use names (if the group has had a
round of self-introduction prior to starting the discussion and you remember the
names) or simply use pronouns like "he" or "she".
Suppose I have a lot to say on the topic, should I say all of it?
You would not be looked upon favourably if you kept speaking all the time and did
not listen to anyone else. Contrary to the misconception, the person who talks the
most is not necessarily the one who is judged the best. The quality and not the
quantity of your contribution is the success factor.
Should I encourage others to speak up?
Do not directly put someone who is consistently silent on the spot by asking him/her
to speak up. If someone has been trying to speak and has a good point but is cut
off constantly, you may encourage him/her to continue with her point as you would
like to hear her out.
Are the group members supposed to keep track of the time or will the panel
keep track?
It would be good if you are conscious of the time, but not to the point of getting so
distracted looking at your watch that you do not contribute to the discussion.
Are we allowed to carry a piece of paper during the GD for noting down
important points?
Normally you are, but there may be instances when it is specifically forbidden to
carry paper.
Is there any particular seating arrangement, which is favourable to the
participants?
If participants are asked to sit in a circle or a semi circle, one position is as good as
another. But if you are asked to sit on either side of a rectangular table, then
choose a position as close to the centre as possible.
Should we begin the GD by appointing a leader amongst ourselves?
No. You should not. Leadership in a GD is established implicitly through one's
performance in a GD.
Should we distribute the total time available to all the participants to ensure
that everybody gets a chance to speak?
Since a GD is not a debate or elocution, the participants should not resort to the
strategy of distributing time amongst themselves.
Can we take a definite stand in the GD and then later on during the GD,
switch over to another stand?
Yes, provided you do it the right way. In a GD it is quite likely that some other
participant's counter-argument convinces you to your point. If this happens, then it
is best if you accept his argument and explain to the group how your previous
argument was true within a narrow range, and how the new argument is applicable
to a broader range. Naturally, it is safer not to make any rash statements for or
against a topic before you learn the facts of the argument. Blindly taking a stand will
definitely lead you to trouble. This does not mean you should sit on the fence. You
may participate actively by pointing out both sides of the issue in a reasonable and
logical manner.
If we do not understand the meaning of the topic, should we ask the
moderator to explain it to us?
No. You cannot. Instead of displaying your ignorance in this manner, it is better to
wait for some other participant to explain the meaning of the topic. So listen to the
discussion carefully for the first few minutes and when you have figured out what
the topic is about, start participating in the discussion.
Should we address the other participants by their names or their assigned
numbers?
As far as possible, you should try and avoid names or numbers. It is better to use
pronouns such as "he", "she", "you" etc. while referring to the members of the
group.
Are we expected to stick to the normally accepted line of thought or can we
come up with something radical?
By all means you can. It would demonstrate your creativity and originality. Just
make sure it is relevant to the topic.
If I feel strongly about an issue, should I voice my feelings?
It is important to be cool and emotionally objective in a GD. If you react emotionally
you are likely to lose control over yourself during the group discussion. You have to
be calm and logical, not emotional in a GD.
Can I use technical terms or jargon, which is clear to me, but not to the
group?
If you have to use technical terms, please do not use abbreviations. After
mentioning the term in full take time out to explain to the group what it means. It is
quite likely that other participants of the group have a different academic
background from you, and you should make sure you are all on a level playing field.
Do I begin my participation by requesting the group's permission to do so?
It is not likely that you will get a chance to ask for such permission. It may also go
against you (as appearing weak on your part).
What is the right time to enter a GD to ensure that I am heard properly?
In any GD, there are crests and troughs during the discussion. The crest is when
the noise level is at its peak. The trough is when there is almost total silence.
Ideally, you should enter the GD during the trough period. But in competitive GDs,
the crests occur more often and troughs may not occur at all. In such cases, you
could identify the stages in the GD, where ideas dear to you are being discussed
and enter the GD irrespective of the noise level.
How do I participate when the noise level is too high?
You could try the following strategy - Identify the most powerful speaker in the
group, and note down the points that he/she is making. The moment the noise level
reduces a little, enter supporting the powerful speaker. You will have made a strong
ally who will carry you through the noise.
Do I have to be cautious about other participants' feelings (on sensitive
issues like religion, caste etc)?
You certainly do. Insensitivity to others displays a lack of maturity and viciousness.
It will act against your favour.
Is it beneficial to be the first speaker in a group discussion?
Being the first speaker is a high risk, high return strategy. If you can make a good
opening statement, which is relevant and sets the tone for the GD, it will go in your
favour. If you do this well, you may automatically become the group leader.
However if you bungle it up (by speaking for the sake of speaking, not really having
anything pertinent to say), it will be remembered and will go against your favour.
How critical is my fluency in English to my performance?
Command over English is certainly advantageous but will not compensate for lack
of good content. If your content is good, then even if your English might not be
great, you must speak it out, rather than be inhibited by lack of good English. You
will get credit for soundness of ideas.
How necessary is it to use examples for illustrating an idea?
Use of examples is helpful in elaborating your point, and helping others understand
your idea better. But please remember to keep it short and simple because in a
competitive GD nobody has the patience to listen to long, drawn out examples.
How much or for how long should I participate?
In a 20 minute GD with 10-12 participants, you should try and participate at least 4
times with each entry lasting at least 25-30 seconds. You could participate more
depending on your comfort level and the need for participation.
Is it good to be humorous in a GD?
Depends on the situation. In a GD that is fairly relaxed, it may be acceptable. But in
a competitive situation, where the participants are tensed up, your attempts at
humour may fall flat.
Should we make an interim summary?
An interim summary is a way of directing the group mid-way through the GD. It
helps the group to pick out and focus on the most important points and thus use the
remaining time more effectively. However it is not necessary to make an interim
summary, if the discussion is already well focused.
What do I do if someone else has already said what I wanted to say?
You have two choices:
 1. Agree with the point made by that person and add on to it by displaying the
applicability of the argument to different situations. By doing this you will have
broadened the scope of the argument.
2. Drop the point and think of fresh points.
To avoid getting into a situation where someone else has already spoken
your points, do speak up in the first 4-5 minutes of the GD. If you wait longer,
it is almost inevitable that someone would have spoken your points.

Is the use of slang/colloquialism permitted?

It is best to avoid using slang.
Can I use a language other than English to drive home my point?
No. You will have to stick to English.
How is aggression taken and measured in a GD?
The moment you notice people reacting to you negatively or strongly, you may take
it that you are being too aggressive. The degree of the reaction is the measure of
your aggression.
What level of aggression is seen acceptable?
There is a very thin line between aggression and assertiveness. You should always
aim to sound assertive and not stubborn.
Is it true that the person who speaks the most in a GD is the one who is most
successful?
This is a myth. Generally the person who has a sound knowledge of the topic and is
a clear thinker speaks more. This leads the students into believing that whoever
speaks most is successful. But just speaking for the sake of speaking will not take
you far.
Will I be quizzed about my (or others) participation in the GD?
You may be. Therefore it helps to be alert all through the GD.
Is it true that the GD is used more as an elimination technique rather than as
a selection tool?
Depends on the institute. In most premier institutes it is used as a selection tool, not
as an elimination technique.
What is the level of accuracy desired in the facts and figures you quote
during the GD?
An error margin of 5% is acceptable.
Is motivating other people in the group to speak looked upon favourably?
Depends on how it is done. If you openly request someone to speak, you may be
putting the other person in a difficult spot, and the evaluators will not look that upon
favourably. It is therefore better to use other means of motivation, such as agreeing
with a halting speaker, adding on to their points, implicitly supporting and giving
them direction.
Does the moderator have any biases or preconceived notions about the
topic?
Ideally the moderator is supposed to be unbiased and neutral. But being a human
being, the moderator cannot be totally free from bias. Since this is not a factor
within your control, there isn't much point losing sleep over it.
Can we expect the moderator to stop or cut short the GD much before the
stipulated time is over?
This may happen if the GD becomes too noisy and if the level of discussion
deteriorates abysmally.
Can I be aggressive with a lady participant?
A GD is not the place to demonstrate chivalry. Being rude to any participant (male
or female) is downright unacceptable. You need not extend any special privileges to
a lady.
Is it all right to ask pointed questions to other participants during a GD?
It is alright to ask questions for the purpose of clarification but not for the purpose of
playing the devil's advocate and proving them wrong. By playing the devil's
advocate you hamper the flow of the GD. The pointed questions unsettle the other
participant and the quality of the GD deteriorates. This would reflect badly on you
and will go against your favour.
Is it necessary that a group should arrive at a conclusion in the stipulated
time?
Ideally a group is supposed to reach a conclusion. Normally the time constraints do
not allow the group to do so.
Is an end-summary absolutely essential?
No. If the group has not reached a conclusion, then it would be good if someone
puts the whole discussion into perspective by summarizing. But if there isn't
sufficient time, a summary may be avoided.
Do we have to write a synopsis of the GD once it is over?
Some institutes insist on this, but it is not universal.
Is voting an acceptable method of reaching a consensus?
Certainly not. A GD is not a debate.
How should a group select a topic if asked to?
The group should brainstorm for about two minutes and narrow down the list of
topics to 3-4. After this the group should prioritize them based on the comfort level
and ease of discussion of the topics. This could be done by asking each participant
to rank the 4 topics and the most popular choice should be taken.
Are the topics decided on the basis of the academic background of the
participant?
No. Topics are usually general in nature to give a level playing field to everyone.
What do I do if one member is very stubborn and aggressive?
You could use any of the following methods.

 Ignore him and address the other members of the group.

 Be assertive and tell him that his argument is faulty.
 Point out to him that his point is well taken and that the group must progress
further by discussing the ideas presented by others.
What are the acceptable ways of interrupting somebody else, so that I may
make my point?
You can interrupt in any of the following ways:

 "Excuse me, but I feel that what you are saying isn't universally true ..."
 "Yes, I agree with your idea, and I would like to add on to it …"
 "Yes, I think you are right when you say that, but could you clarify what if …"

GD Tips

1. Initiation Techniques
2. Body of the group discussion
3. Summarization/ Conclusion

Initiation Techniques

 Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy.

When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also
grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates.

If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and
communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the
discussion.

But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures,
the damage might be irreparable.

If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it gives the
impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting it or getting those
initial kitty of points earmarked for an initiator!

When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right
perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have in-depth knowledge
about the topic at hand.

Body of the group discussion

 Different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:

i. Quotes
ii. Definition
iii. Question
iv. Shock statement
v. Facts, figures and statistics
vi. Short story
vii. General statement
i. Quotes

Quotes are an effective way of initiating a GD.

If the topic of a GD is: Should the Censor Board be abolished?, you could start with
a quote like, 'Hidden apples are always sweet'.

For a GD topic like, Customer is King, you could quote Sam (Wall-mart) Walton's
famous saying, 'There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in
the company -- from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money
somewhere else.'

ii. Definition

Start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic.

For example, if the topic of the GD is Advertising is a Diplomatic Way of Telling a

Lie, why not start the GD by defining advertising as, 'Any paid form of non-personal
presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services through mass media like
newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor'?

For a topic like The Malthusian Economic Prophecy is no longer relevant, you could
start by explaining the definition of the Malthusian Economic Prophecy.

iii. Question

Asking a question is an impact way of starting a GD.

It does not signify asking a question to any of the candidates in a GD so as to

hamper the flow. It implies asking a question, and answering it yourself.

Any question that might hamper the flow of a GD or insult a participant or play
devil's advocate must be discouraged.

Questions that promote a flow of ideas are always appreciated.

For a topic like, Should India go to war with Pakistan, you could start by asking,
'What does war bring to the people of a nation? We have had four clashes with
Pakistan. The pertinent question is: what have we achieved?'

iv. Shock statement

Initiating a GD with a shocking statement is the best way to grab immediate

attention and put forth your point.
If a GD topic is, The Impact of Population on the Indian Economy, you could start
with, 'At the centre of the Indian capital stands a population clock that ticks away
relentlessly. It tracks 33 births a minute, 2,000 an hour, 48,000 a day. Which
calculates to about 12 million every year. That is roughly the size of Australia. As a
current political slogan puts it, 'Nothing's impossible when 1 billion Indians work
together'.'

v. Facts, figures and statistics

If you decide to initiate your GD with facts, figure and statistics, make sure to quote
them accurately.

Approximation is allowed in macro level figures, but micro level figures need to be
correct and accurate.

For example, you can say, approximately 70 per cent of the Indian population stays
in rural areas (macro figures, approximation allowed).

But you cannot say 30 states of India instead of 28 (micro figures, no

approximations).

Stating wrong facts works to your disadvantage.

For a GD topic like, China, a Rising Tiger, you could start with, 'In 1983, when
China was still in its initial stages of reform and opening up, China's real use of
Foreign Direct Investment only stood at $636 million. China actually utilized $60
billion of FID in 2004, which is almost 100 times that of its 1983 statistics."

vi. Short story

Use a short story in a GD topic like, Attitude is Everything.

This can be initiated with, 'A child once asked a balloon vendor, who was selling
helium gas-filled balloons, whether a blue-colored balloon will go as high in the sky
as a green-colored balloon. The balloon vendor told the child, it is not the color of
the balloon but what is inside it that makes it go high.'

vii. General statement

Use a general statement to put the GD in proper perspective.

For example, if the topic is, Should Sonia Gandhi be the prime minister of India?,
you could start by saying, 'Before jumping to conclusions like, 'Yes, Sonia Gandhi
should be', or 'No, Sonia Gandhi should not be', let's first find out the qualities one
needs to be a a good prime minister of India. Then we can compare these qualities
with those that Mrs. Gandhi possesses. This will help us reach the conclusion in a
more objective and effective manner.'

Summarization/ Conclusion

 Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole

group decides in favor or against the topic.
 But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has
discussed in the GD in a nutshell.

Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:

1. Avoid raising new points.

2. Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
3. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD.
4. Keep it brief and concise.
5. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD.
6. If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to
an end.
7. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

GD Do's

 Do's

1. Be as natural as possible. Do not try and be someone you are not. Be

yourself.
2. A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal. The evaluator wants to
hear you speak.
3. Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of what you are going to say.
4. Seek clarification if you have any doubts regarding the subject.
5. Don't start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the
subject.
6. Work out various strategies to help you make an entry: initiate the discussion
or agree with someone else's point and then move onto express your views.
7. Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and
recognition. If you do not give valuable insights during the discussion, all your
efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.
8. Your body language says a lot about you - your gestures and mannerisms are
more likely to reflect your attitude than what you say.
9. Language skills are important only to the effect as to how you get your points
across clearly and fluently.
10. Be assertive not dominating; try to maintain a balanced tone in your
discussion and analysis.
 11. Don't lose your cool if anyone says anything you object to. The key is to
stay objective: Don't take the discussion personally.
12. Always be polite: Try to avoid using extreme phrases like: `I strongly
object' or `I disagree'. Instead try phrases like: `I would like to share my views
on…' or `One difference between your point and mine…' or "I beg to differ
with you"
13. Brush up on your leadership skills; motivate the other members of the
team to speak (this surely does not mean that the only thing that you do in the
GD is to say "let us hear what the young lady with the blue scarf has to say,"
or "Raghu, let us hear your views" - Essentially be subtle), and listen to their
views. Be receptive to others' opinions and do not be abrasive or aggressive.
14. If you have a group of like-minded friends, you can have a mock group
discussion where you can learn from each other through giving and receiving
feedback.
15. Apart from the above points, the panel will also judge team members for
their alertness and presence of mind, problem-solving abilities, ability to work
as a team without alienating certain members, and creativity.

GD Preparation
While selection tools and techniques like tests, interviews etc. provide good data
about an individual, they fall short in providing real life data of how an individual
would be performing in a real life situation especially a group situation. Team work
being an integral part of the BPO work profile, it is important to ascertain group and
inter-personal qualities of an individual. Group discussion is a useful tool to
ascertain these qualities and many organizations use GDs as a selection tool along
with Personal Interviews, aptitude tests etc. A GD is an activity where

 Groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given
a specific situation to analyse and discuss within a given time limit, which may
vary between twenty minutes and forty-five minutes, or
 They may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a
problem
 They may be given a topic and are asked to discuss the same

1. Preparing for a Group Discussion: While GD reflects the inherent qualities of

an individual, appearing for it unprepared may not augur well for you. These tips
would help you prepare for GDs:
Reading: This is the first and the most crucial step in preparation. This is a never
ending process and the more you read, the better you are in your thoughts. While
you may read anything to everything, you must ensure that you are in good touch
with current affairs, the debates and hot topics of discussion and also with the latest
in the IT and ITES industry. Chances are the topics would be around these. Read
both for the thoughts as well as for data. Also read multiple view points on the same
topic and then create your point of view with rationale. Also create answers for
counter arguments for your point of view. The electronic media also will be of good
use here.
Mocks: Create an informal GD group and meet regularly to discuss and exchange
feedback. This is the best way to prepare. This would give you a good idea about
your thoughts and how well can you convince. Remember, it is important that you
are able to express your thoughts well. The better you perform in these mocks the
better would be you chances to perform on the final day. Also try to interact and
participate in other GD groups. This will develop in you a skill to discuss with
unknown people as well.
2. During the Group Discussion:
What do the panelists assess:Some of the qualities assessed in a GD are:
Leadership Skills - Ability to take leadership roles and be able to lead, inspire and
carry the team along to help them achieve the group's objectives.
Communication Skills - Candidates will be assessed in terms of clarity of thought,
expression and aptness of language. One key aspect is listening. It indicates a
willingness to accommodate others views.
Interpersonal Skills - People skills are an important aspect of any job. They are
reflected in the ability to interact with other members of the group in a brief
situation. Emotional maturity and balance promotes good interpersonal
relationships. The person has to be more people centric and less self-centered.
Persuasive Skills - The ability to analyze and persuade others to see the problem
from multiple perspectives.
GD is a test of your ability to think, your analytical capabilities and your ability to
make your point in a team-based environment.
These are some of the sub-skills that also get assessed with the skills mentioned
above:

 Clarity of thought
 Group working skills (especially during a group task of case study discussion)
 Conflict handling
 Listening and probing skills
 Knowledge about the subject and individual point of view
 Ability to create a consensus
 Openess and flexibility towards new ideas
 Data based approach to decision making

While, it is not possible to reflect all these qualities in a short time, you would do
well if you are able to show a couple or more qualities and avoid giving negative
evidence on others.

GD Preparation

How do I take my chance to speak: Trying to interrupt others while speaking

would only harm your chances. Instead, you may try to maintain an eye-contact
with the speaker. This would show your listening skills also and would help you
gauge from his eye-movement and pitch of voice that he is about to close his
inputs. You can quickly take it from there. Also, try and link your inputs with what he
has spoken whether you are adding to or opposing his arguments. This would
reflect that you are actually being participative rather than just doing a collective
monologue.

 How to I communicate in a GD: Be crisp and to the point. Be fact based and
avoid making individual opinions that do not have a factual base. Make eye
contact with all the members in the group and avoid looking at the panelists
while speaking. The average duration of the group discussion provides an
average of about 2-3 minutes per participant to speak and you should try to
speak about 3-4 times. Hence, you need to be really crisp to reflect the most
in those 30-40 sec. slots.
 How do I convince others and make them agree to my view point: A lot of
candidates make it their mission to make the group reach to a conclusion on
the topic. Do not forget that some of the topics have been eternal debates
and there is no way you can get an agreement in 15 mins. on them. The
objective is not to make others toe your line but to provide fact based,
convincing arguments which create an impact. Stick to this approach.
 Do leadership skills include moderating the group discussion: This is a
myth and many people do try to impose their order on the GD, ordering
people when to speak and when not to. This only reflects poor leadership.
Leadership in a GD would be reflected by your clarity of thought, ability to
expand the topic in its different dimensions, providing an opportunity to a
silent participant to speak, listening to others and probing them to provide
more information. Hence, work on these areas rather than be a self-appointed
moderator of the group.
 Listening: This is a key quality assessed during the GD about which many
participants forget. Active listening can fetch you credit points and would also
provide you with data to discuss. Also, if you have an average of 2-3 minutes
to speak, the rest of the 20-25 minutes is required to spent in active listening.
For this, maintain eye contact with the speakers, attend to them (like nodding,
using acknowledging words like -I see ok, fine, great etc.). This would also
make you be the centre of attraction as you would appear non-threatening to
the speakers.
 Behaviour during the GD: Be patient; don't get upset if anyone says
anything you object to. Stay objective and don't take the discussion
personally. Also, remember the six C's of communication - Clarity,
Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. Be
appreciative & receptive to ideas from other people and open-minded but do
not let others to change your own viewpoint. Be active and interested
throughout. It is better to participate less if you have no clue of the topic. You
may listen to others and take clues from there and speak. You would be
assessed on a range of different skills and you may think that leadership is
key, you need to be careful that you don't dominate the discussion.
 Quality Vs Quantity: Often, participants think that success in group
discussions depends on how much and how loudly they speak. Interestingly,
it's the opposite. Also, making your point on the topic, your views are
 important and the group needs to know. This will tell you are knowledgeable
and that you participate in groups
 Summarizing: If you have not been able to initiate the discussion, try to
summaries and close it. Good summarizing would get you good reward
points. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favour or against the
topic and most GDs do not have a closure. But every GD can be summarized
by putting forth what the group has discussed in a nutshell. Keep the following
points in mind while summarizing a discussion:
o Avoid raising new points.
o Avoid stating only your viewpoint.
o Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD
o Keep it brief and concise.
o It must include all the important points that came out during the GD
o If you are asked to summarise a GD, it means the GD has come to an
end.
o Do not add anything once the GD has been summarised.

Some Positive Task Roles in a Group Discussion:You may want to play one or
more of them:

 Initiator
 Information seeker
 Information giver
 Procedure facilitator
 Opinion seeker
 Opinion giver
 Clarifier
 Social Supporter
 Harmonizer
 Tension Reliever
 Energizer
 Compromiser
 Gatekeeper
 Summarizer

Negative Roles to be Avoided

 Disgruntled non-participant
 Attacker
 Dominator
 Patronizer
 Clown

Feedback template: While doing mocks for GD preparation, you would get
benefited by the feedback of others. For the purpose, we are providing a template
for feedback - both quantitative and qualitative. The items described over there are
a suggested list and not a complete one. You may make changes in it depending
upon your need.

GD Mistakes

Here's a list of the most common mistakes made at group discussions:

Emotional outburst

Rashmi was offended when one of the male participants in a group discussion
made a statement on women generally being submissive while explaining his point
of view. When Rashmi finally got an opportunity to speak, instead of focussing on
the topic, she vented her anger by accusing the other candidate for being a male
chauvinist and went on to defend women in general.

What Rashmi essentially did was to

• Deviate from the subject

• Treat the discussion as a forum to air her own views.

• Lose objectivity and make personal attacks.

Her behaviour would have been perceived as immature and demotivating to the
rest of the team.

Quality Vs Quantity

Gautam believed that the more he talked, the more likely he was to get through the
GD. So, he interrupted other people at every opportunity. He did this so often that
the other candidates got together to prevent him from participating in the rest of the
discussion.

• Assessment is not only on your communication skills but also on your ability to be
a team player.

• Evaluation is based on quality, and not on quantity. Your contribution must be

relevant.

• The mantra is "Contributing meaningfully to the team's success." Domination is

frowned upon.

Egotism Showing off

Krishna was happy to have got a group discussion topic he had prepared for. So,
he took pains to project his vast knowledge of the topic. Every other sentence of his
contained statistical data - "20% of companies; 24.27% of parliamentarians felt that;
I recently read in a Jupiter Report that..." and so on so forth. Soon, the rest of the
team either laughed at him or ignored his attempts to enlighten them as they
perceived that he was cooking up the data.

• Exercise restraint in anything. You will end up being frowned upon if you attempt
showing-off your knowledge.

• Facts and figures need not validate all your statements.

• Its your analysis and interpretation that are equally important - not just facts and
figures.

• You might be appreciated for your in-depth knowledge. But you will fail miserably
in your people skills.

Such a behavior indicates how self-centered you are and highlights your inability to
work in an atmosphere where different opinions are expressed.

Get noticed - But for the right reasons

Srikumar knew that everyone would compete to initiate the discussion. So as soon
as the topic - "Discuss the negative effects of India joining the WTO" - was read
out, he began talking. In his anxiety to be the first to start speaking, he did not hear
the word "negative" in the topic. He began discussing the ways in which the country
had benefited by joining WTO, only to be stopped by the evaluator, who then
corrected his mistake.

• False starts are extremely expensive. They cost you your admission. It is very
important to listen and understand the topic before you air your opinions.

• Spending a little time analyzing the topic may provide you with insights which
others may not have thought about. Use a pen and paper to jot down your ideas.

• Listen! It gives you the time to conceptualize and present the information in a
better manner.

Some mistakes are irreparable. Starting off the group discussion with a mistake is
one such mistake, unless you have a great sense of humor.

Managing one's insecurities

Sumati was very nervous. She thought that some of the other candidates were
exceptionally good. Thanks to her insecurity, she contributed little to the discussion.
Even when she was asked to comment on a particular point, she preferred to
remain silent.

• Your personality is also being evaluated. Your verbal and non verbal cues are
being read.

• Remember, you are the participant in the GD; not the evaluator. So, rather than
evaluating others and your performance, participate in the discussion.

• Your confidence level is being evaluated. Decent communication skills with good
confidence are a must to crack the GDs.

Focus on your strengths and do not spend too much time thinking about how
others are superior or inferior to you. It is easy to pick up these cues from your body
language.

Knowledge is strength. A candidate with good reading habits has more chances of
success. In other words, sound knowledge on different topics like politics, finance,
economy, science and technology is helpful.

Power to convince effectively is another quality that makes you stand out among
others.

Clarity in speech and expression is yet another essential quality.

If you are not sure about the topic of discussion, it is better not to initiate. Lack of
knowledge or wrong approach creates a bad impression. Instead, you might adopt
the wait and watch attitude. Listen attentively to others, may be you would be able
to come up with a point or two later.

A GD is a formal occasion where slang is to avoided.

A GD is not a debating stage. Participants should confine themselves to expressing

their viewpoints. In the second part of the discussion candidates can exercise their
choice in agreeing, disagreeing or remaining neutral.

Language use should be simple, direct and straight forward.

Don't interrupt a speaker when the session is on. Try to score by increasing your
size, not by cutting others short.

Maintain rapport with fellow participants. Eye contact plays a major role. Non-verbal
gestures, such as listening intently or nodding while appreciating someone's
viewpoint speak of you positively.
Communicate with each and every candidate present. While speaking don't keep
looking at a single member. Address the entire group in such a way that everyone
feels you are speaking to him or her.

Engineering GD Topics

 Is China a threat to the Indian software industry.

 Role of UN in peacekeeping.
 Position of Women in India compared to other nations.
 Environment Management.
 Is China better than India in software.
 Govt contribution to IT
 is china a threat to Indian industry
 India or west , which is the land of opportunities
 water resources should be nationalised
 "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY"
 Effect of cinema on Youth
 Education in India compared to Foreign nations
 What is the effect of movies on youth. is it good or bad)
 Are studies more beneficial in India or in Abroad.
 "UN's peace activities" and "America's war on Iraq".
 "Environment-Whose Responsibility".
 US war on iraq-justified or not.
 Role of UN in Peace keeping
 War on Iraq
 About Hockey being the primary game in India.
 Can America occupy Iraq
 IS CHINA A THREAT TO INDIA
 Present state of Indian Cricket team
 Advantages of Co-education.
 How to deal with international terrorism.
 Should we pursue our policy of dialogue with Pakistan?
 Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?
 A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped countries like India.
 Is Globalization Really Necessary?
 What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population?
 Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy.
 Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture.
 What India needs is a Dictatorship.
 With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the
hour.
 Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and
personality.
 Beauty contests degrade womanhood
 The rise of regional blocs threatens independent nations like India
 Six billion and one bronze!
 Is dependence on computers a good thing?
 Should the public sector be privatised?
 China and India are similar nations with contrasting ways
 Is India a Soft Nation?
 Value based politics is the need of the hour
 Religion should not be mixed with politics
 How to deal with high oil prices
 Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing
 Why cant we be world players in industry as we are in software?
 Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise?
 Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire).
 Should there be private universities?
 Does banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture?
 Public sector is more a hindrance than help to promote socialism.
 Economic betterment of the poorer nations is as important as disarmament to
ensure lasting world peace.
 From public sector to privatization as in the U.K., is the right answer for
India's instant economic breakthrough.
 The doctrine of "limited nuclear war" is an ill-convinced, ill- logical, irrational
and extremely dangerous concept.
 Some simple but effective electoral reforms will enable us to retain the
present parliamentary system and ensure the preservation of democracy in
India.
 Nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.
 Private enterprise and not public sector will contribute to faster and higher
economic growth in India
 Inflation is inevitable in our developing country.
 The policy of reservation is a legacy of the British and it has done more harm
than good.
 For a marketing post graduate, without prior work experience working in a big
marketing firm is a disadvantage when compared with working in a small firm.
Discuss.
 Consumerism is destroying the social fabric of Indian culture
 Free market is a prerequisite for growth.
 Cricket as a national obsession is a detriment to other sports.
 To develop India has to empower women.
 .Formulate the government's health policy to control the spread of AIDS.
 Advertising is a waste of resources.
 Privatization will lead to less corruption.
 State is the biggest violator of human rights.
 There can never be a classless society.
 Beauty pageants are a marketing gimmick.
 Voting rights to illiterates in India is illogical because it is widely misused.
 Joint family is a blessing in disguise
 Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it.
 Women cannot successfully combine both career and home
 Women are good managers.
 Executive should be allowed to form unions.
 Effect of liberalization on poverty.
 Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups.
 Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they?
 Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.
 Political parties have outlived their utility.
 Is Swadeshi relevant for India today?
 Money is required to earn more money.
 Foreign trade is necessary for any country to survive
 Presidential Vs Parliamentary form of government of India.
 Technology: The Ism' Of The New Millennium?
 Religion And Politics Should Not Mix
 TRIPS Controversy And The Patent Act Amendment
 Should India Sign The CTBT
 State Interventions In Market Kind Or Mixed Economy
 Science Is A Boon Or Bane
 Is Swapping Terrorists For Hostages An Encouragement For Plane-
Hijackers?
 Nice Guys Finish Last
 All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy
 Individual Freedom And Civil Society
 Conventionalism And Modernity: The Ever going Debate
 Should There Be A Restriction On Permissiveness Being propagated by The
MTV Culture And Foreign Media?
 Marxism And Its Future All Over The World
 The Growing Menace Of Casteism And Regionalism
 Presidential Form Of Government Is Needed In India
 Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy?
 Capitation Fees Should Be Abolished
 Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped
 Business And Ethics Can't / Don't Go Together
 Are women As good as Men Or Inferior?
 Nothing Succeeds Like Success
  The Malthusian Economic Prophecy Is No Longer Relevant
 Secessionism In The North-East: Who's To Blame?
 Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan?
 Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent
 East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is': Mark Twain
 Freedom Of _Expression And The State Authority.

MBA GD Topics

 Is India moving away from a secularist state?

 Education in India - or the lack of it
 What ails Indian sports?
 The Age of Information
 Is Philosophy just an armchair theory?
 Success is all about human relations
 Borderless worlds - Dream or reality?
 Quality is a myth in India.
 Education and success - Is there a correlation?
 We don't learn from history, we repeat it
 Do we need a global policeman
 Indian villages - our strength or our weakness?
 Agrarian Economy in India - boon or bane
 if there were no armies in the world......
 Indian customs - are we in a time warp?
 "How green was my valley........". Is nature paying the price ?
 Management Education - Is it necessary to succeed in business
 The role of NGOs in economics and politics
 NGOs - Do they serve peoples interests or are they pressure groups?
 Death of Socialism
 Role of women in development
 Kids today are not what they used to be
 Casteless India - A pipe dream
 Should Trade Unionism be banned in India
 Repeated elections - Should taxpayers pay for it?
 Indian bureaucracy - foundation strengths or colonial hangovers?
 In India, the whole is less than the parts - Do we lack in team spirit?
 Generation X - Drivers of our future or are they our lost souls?
 Do we need a cut in the defence budget?
 "Dot.com" companies - Is there room for everyone?
 Artificial Intelligence - Will man be ever replaced by machines?
 if I were to choose my person of the millennium...
 All the world is a stage....
 when managers become Hamlets...
 If Patel were our first Prime Minister.......
 Materialism - Have we sold our souls to the Devil?
 You've come a long way, baby - The rise and rise of feminist power.
 Role of ethics in tobacco industry, liquor industry etc.
 Should gambling be legalised in India?
 Are we unfit for Democracy?
 Survival tools for the new millennium
 Examinations - has it killed education
 Cultural Invasion through the air waves
 Should doctors be tried in Consumer Courts
 Abortion and Euthanasia - Is it morally right for society
 Are beauty pageants necessary?
 The relevance of Gandhism today
 India and the WTO
 Did India handle the hijack issue properly?
 Is E-Commerce the best thing for India
 Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never
match those learnt from experience
 Democracy is hampering India progress
 MBA in India is highly overrated.
 Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state
 Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the
need of the hour

Hot Topics:

1.How to deal with international terrorism

2.Should we pursue our policy of dialogue with
Pakistan?
3.Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?

Current Topics:

1.A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped

countries like
India.
2.Is Globalisation Really Necessary?
3.What shall we do about our ever-increasing
Population?
4.Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy.
5.Foreign Television Channels are destroying our
culture.
6.What India needs is a Dictatorship.
7.With media publishing and telecasting trivia,
censorship is the
need of the hour.
8.Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but
more about money and personality.
9.Beauty contests degrade womanhood
10.The rise of regional blocs threatens independent
nations like India
11.Six billion and one bronze!
12.Is dependence on computers a good thing?
13.Should the public sector be privatised?
14.China and India are similar nations with
contrasting ways
15.Is India a Soft Nation?
16.Value based politics is the need of the hour
17.Religion should not be mixed with politics
18.How to deal with high oil prices
19.Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing
20.Why cant we be world players in industry as we are
in software?
21.Multinational corporations: Are they devils in
disguise?
22.Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the
controversy on
Fire).
23.Should there be private universities?
24.Does banning fashion shows and New Year parties
save our culture?

Social Topics:

1.Are Big Dams Necessary?

2.Films are corrupting the Indian Youth
3.A Gandhian State selling liquor is an anomaly
4.Bride burning and dowry may look bad, but are an
integral part of
India.
5.Our Culture is Decaying
6.We are not serious about saving Wildlife/Environment
7.The education system needs serious reforms
8.The impact of MTV on our psyche
9.Showing Violence and Crimes should not be allowed in
films and on
television.
10.Let us legalise gambling

Management Topics:

1.Is management an art or a science?

2.The Rush for MBA is really a rush for big money
3.Ethics in Business are just a passing fashion
4.The objective of Management is to maximise profits
5.Do professional managers have a chance in our family
run businesses?
6.The Internet is an exercise in hype
7.Is an MBA necessary to succeed in life?
8.Family owned business vs professionally run
businesses
9.Smaller businesses and start-ups have more scope for
professional
growth.
10.Dot com or doubt com?

Creative Topics:

1.The Wheel is Turning Round and Round

2.If I was the Finance Minister/Prime Minister
3.There is no right way to do a wrong thing
4.Group Task: How can we have Mount Everest in India?
5.Do Beauty and Brains Go Together?
6.When I woke up in the morning I saw…
7.A ship docked in harbour cannot face the storms
8.Up the Down Staircase
9.Just as we have smoke free zones, we should have
child free zones
10.Marriage is a social trap

SOCIAL TOPICS:

1. The Internet chains have come on the wings of

science and
technology but are no less restrictive for all that.
2. Secularism has become a tool to justify the wrongs
done by the minorities.
3. Media is a mixed blessing/How ethical is media?
4. To fight AIDs, stop being coy about sex education.
5. What should India strive for- Westernization or
modernization?

ECONOMIC TOPICS:

1. Developing countries need trade, not aid.

2. Why do we lag behind China?
3. Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others
are so much
worse.
4. Flexibility of labour laws is the key to attracting
more Foreign
Direct Investment.
5. Is the business of business only business?
POLITICAL TOPICS:

1. Reserving seats for women in Panchayat has not only

been a farce but
has distracted from developing a more genuine voice of
women.
2. Have the nuclear tests of 1998 benefited or harmed
India?
3. Voters, not, political parties are responsible for
the criminalisation of politics.
4. The voters are required to be well informed and
educated about
their candidates so that they can elect the right
aspirant by their own
assessment.
5. India should go for the presidential form of
democracy.

ECONOMIC TOPICS:

1. In our economic matters, there is an excessive

tendency towards the
thinking rather than doing.
2. Every cloud has a silver lining
3. Can the economy achieve an 8 percent growth rate?.
4. Is disinvestment really that good for India or is a
rethink in
order ?
5. Are co-operatives relevant in today's globalised
environment?.
6. Foreign aid is a dangerous drug that can stimulate
in small doses
but
become fatally addictive in larger doses.
7. Modern day sport in industrialised society is an
industry, as
anything else.
8. Government should clean its own hands before
pointing finger at the
private sector for corruption.
9. Is the NPA ordinance too harsh?
10. Reforms have to grow up.
11. The future lies with glocalisation .
12. Is the consumer really the king in India?.
13. Globalisation versus nationalism
14. Conditional access system for cable TV watchers:
boon or bane? 15.
If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we
have designed our
system of governance for protecting, if not
encouraging,
corruption?
16. Commercialisation of health care : Good or Bad ?
17. For globalisation to succeed in India people must
be able to see
what is in it for them
18. Is the US economy headed the Japanese economy way?
19. Economic freedom not old fashioned theories of
development will
lead
to growth and prosperity
20. Markets left to themselves encourage greed.
21. For globalisation to succeed in India people must
be able to see
what is in it for them
22. Should businessmen run the finance ministry
23. Should important services like transport be left
to market
forces?.
24. Is there any point in having a business strategy
when the world changes from month to month?
25. Is the patents bill good for India? .
26. Is the business of business only business?.
27. Globalisation is good for developing countries
28. Public sector being a guarantor of job security is
a myth.
29. Is industryless growth here to stay ?
30. Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others
are so much
worse ?
31. How can business get rid of the bad name that it
has earned?
32. Government pumping money into the economy is not
the solution for
our economic problems
33. Business ethics are no longer a luxury for
corporates but a
necessity?
34. How should privatisation proceeds be utilised ?
35. Is the budgeting exercise of any use?
36. Should agricultural subsidies be stopped ?
37. Will Mumbai's film industry ever evolve into a
truly modern
corporatised one?
38. Will market reforms enrich rich states further,
while poorer ones
lag further?.
39. Why do we lag behind China ?
40. Who says MNCs are superior to Indian companies ?.
41. Why not use a brand index to measure national
prosperity?.
42. What we need to reduce scams is better regulatory
bodies.
43. War rhetoric is misplaced in a country like India
which is trying to globalise its economy.
44. Trade can help the poor ?
45. The power ministry should cut off supplies to all
the defaulting
SEBs.
46. Steal a few lakhs and you're a criminal. Steal a
few hundred
crores and you become an industrialist.
47. Should PSUs be divested through strategic sale or
public offer? 48.
The state is above the law?

Management Education Topics

1. Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never

 match those
learnt from experience
2. Democracy is hampering India progress
3. MBA in India is highly overrated.
4. Religion is a private affair and should be of no
concern for the
state
5. Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is
the need of the hour

BPO GD Topics

 Is coalition politics here to stay?

 Does India need a dictator?
 What ails Indian sports?
 Success is all about human relations
 Borderless worlds - Dream or reality?
 Quality is a myth in India
 Will China overtake India in IT
 India - the back office to the world by 2020
 Does Indian IT industry need to focus on products rather than services
 The BPO age - heralding a new employment revolution
 The BPO revolution and its impact on the society
 Education and success - Is there a correlation?
 We don't learn from history, we repeat it
 Do we need a global policeman?
 Indian villages - our strength or our weakness?
 Management Education - Is it necessary to succeed in business
 Kids today are not what they used to be
 Repeated elections - Who should pay for them
 Indian bureaucracy - foundation strengths or colonial hangovers?
 In India, the whole is less than the parts - Do we lack in team spirit?
  "Dot.com" companies - Is there room for everyone?
 Artificial Intelligence - Will man be ever replaced by machines?
 Materialism - Have we sold our souls to the Devil?
 Role of ethics in tobacco industry, liquor industry etc.
 Are we unfit for Democracy?
 Survival tools for the new millennium
 Examinations - has it killed education
 Should doctors be tried in Consumer Courts
 Is E-Commerce the best thing for India

General GD Topics

 US war on Iraq-justified or not.

 Role of UN in peacekeeping.
 Position of Women in India compared to other nations.
 Environment Management.
 Is China better than India in software.
 Should SONIA Gandhi be made the PM
 BPOs in INDIA
 Govt contribution to IT
 will punch lines rule the Advt
 premarital sex
 is china a threat to Indian industry
 India or west , which is the land of opportunities
 water resources should be nationalized
 "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY"
 Effect of cinema on Youth
 Education in India compared to Foreign nations
 Is it necessary to ban COCO COLA in India.
 What is the effect of movies on youth. is it good or bad)
 Are studies more beneficial in India or in Abroad.
 "UN's peace activities" and "America's war on Iraq".
  "Environment-Whose Responsibility".
 Is China a threat to the Indian software industry.
 Role of UN in Peace keeping
 War on Iraq
 About Hockey being the primary game in India
 Can America occupy Iraq
 Cricket should be banned or not.
 IS CHINA A THREAT TO INDIA
 Present state of Indian Cricket team.
 Love marriage/Arranged marriage.
 Advantages of Co-education.
 How to deal with international terrorism.
 Should we pursue our policy of dialogue with Pakistan?
 Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts?

| Social GD Topics | Creative GD Topics | Economic GD Topics |

Social GD Topics

 Are Big Dams Necessary?

 Films are corrupting the Indian Youth
 A Gandhian State selling liquor is an anomaly
 Bride burning and dowry may look bad, but are an integral part of India.
 Our Culture is Decaying
 We are not serious about saving Wildlife/Environment
 The education system needs serious reforms
 The impact of MTV on our psyche
 Showing Violence and Crimes should not be allowed in films and on
television.
 Let us legalise gambling

Management Topics:
  Is management an art or a science?
 The Rush for MBA is really a rush for big money
 Ethics in Business are just a passing fashion
 The objective of Management is to maximise profits
 Do professional managers have a chance in our family run businesses?
 The Internet is an exercise in hype
 Is an MBA necessary to succeed in life?
 Family owned business vs professionally run businesses
 Smaller businesses and start-ups have more scope for professional growth.
 Dot com or doubt com?

Creative GD Topics

 The Wheel is Turning Round and Round

 If I was the Finance Minister/Prime Minister
 There is no right way to do a wrong thing
 Group Task: How can we have Mount Everest in India?
 Do Beauty and Brains Go Together?
 When I woke up in the morning I saw…
 A ship docked in harbor cannot face the storms
 Up the Down Staircase
 Just as we have smoke free zones, we should have child free zones
 Marriage is a social trap

Economic GD Topics

 In our economic matters, there is an excessive tendency towards the thinking

rather than doing.
 Every cloud has a silver lining
 Can the economy achieve an 8 percent growth rate?.
 Is disinvestments really that good for India or is are think inorder ?
 Are co-operatives relevant in today's globalised environment?.
 Foreign aid is a dangerous drug that can stimulate in small doses but
become fatally addictive in larger doses.
 Modern day sport in industrialized society is an industry, as anything else.
 Government should clean its own hands before pointing finger at the private
sector for corruption.
 Is the NPA ordinance too harsh?
 Reforms have to grow up.
 The future lies with globalization .
 Is the consumer really the king in India?.
 Globalization versus nationalism
 Conditional access system for cable TV watchers: boon or bane?
 If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our
 system of governance for protecting, if not encouraging, corruption?
 Commercialization of health care : Good or Bad ?
 For globalization to succeed in India people must be able to see what is in it
for them
 Is the US economy headed the Japanese economy way?
 Economic freedom not old fashioned theories of development will lead to
growth and prosperity
 Markets left to themselves encourage greed.
 For globalization to succeed in India people must be able to see what is in it
for them
 Should businessmen run the finance ministry
 Should important services like transport be left to market forces?.
 Is there any point in having a business strategy when the world changes from
month to month?
 Is the patents bill good for India? .
 Is the business of business only business?.
 Globalization is good for developing countries
 Public sector being a guarantor of job security is a myth.
 Is industry less growth here to stay ?
  Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others are so much worse ?
 How can business get rid of the bad name that it has earned?
 Government pumping money into the economy is not the solution for our
economic problems
 Business ethics are no longer a luxury for corporate but a necessity?
 How should privatization proceeds be utilized ?
 Is the budgeting exercise of any use?
 Should agricultural subsidies be stopped ?
 Will Mumbai's film industry ever evolve into a truly modern corporative one?
 Will market reforms enrich rich states further, while poorer ones lag further?.
 Why do we lag behind China ?
 Who says MNCs are superior to Indian companies ?.
 Why not use a brand index to measure national prosperity?.
 What we need to reduce scams is better regulatory bodies.
 War rhetoric is misplaced in a country like India which is trying to
 globalize its economy
 Trade can help the poor ?
 The power ministry should cut off supplies to all the defaulting SEBs
 Steal a few lakhs and you're a criminal. Steal a few hundred cores and you
become an industrialist.
 Should PSUs be divested through strategic sale or public offer?
 The state is above the law?

Current GD Topics

 A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped countries like India

 Is Globalisation Really Necessary?
 What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population?
 Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy
 Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture
 What India needs is a Dictatorship.
  With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the
hour.
 Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and
personality.
 Beauty contests degrade womanhood
 The rise of regional blocs threatens independent nations like India
 Six billion and one bronze!
 Is dependence on computers a good thing?
 Should the public sector be privatised?
 China and India are similar nations with contrasting ways
 Is India a Soft Nation?
 Value based politics is the need of the hour
 Religion should not be mixed with politics
 How to deal with high oil prices
 Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing
 Why cant we be world players in industry as we are in software?
 Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise?
 Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire).
 Should there be private universities?
 Does banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture

GD Topics Collections

 Public sector is more a hindrance than help topromote socialism.

 Economic betterment of the poorer nations is asimportant asdisarmament to
ensure lasting world peace.
 From public sector to privatization as in the U.K.,is the right answer for India's
instant economic breakthrough.
 The doctrine of "limited nuclear war" is anill-convinced, ill- logical, irrational
and extremely dangerous concept.
 Some simple but effective electoral reforms will enable us to
retain the present parliamentary system and ensure the preservation of
democracy in India.
 We must have only two national parties to contest parliamentary elections
and regional parties should not be allowed to contest for the same.
 We can increase our food production not only to match our population
explosion but also for export provided we adopt modern, mechanized farming
methods with large size land
holdings.
 Nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.
 Private enterprise and not public sector will contribute to faster and higher
economic growth in India.
 Inflation is inevitable in our developing country.
 The policy of reservation is a legacy of the British and it has done more harm
than good.
 Do you think MBAs are useful in the manufacturing production department?
 For a marketing post graduate, without prior work experience working in a big
marketing firm is a disadvantage when compared with working in a small firm.
Discuss.
 Consumerism is destroying the social fabric of Indian culture.
 Free market is a prerequisite for growth.
 Cricket as a national obsession is a detriment to other sports.
 To develop India has to empower women.
 Formulate the government's health policy to control the spread of AIDS.
 Advertising is a waste of resources.
 Privatization will lead to less corruption.
 State is the biggest violator of human rights.
 There can never be a classless society.
 Beauty pageants are a marketing gimmick.
 Voting rights to illiterates in India is illogical because it is widely misused.
 Joint family is a blessing in disguise.
 Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it.
 The weaker sex is the weakness of the stronger sex.
 Women cannot successfully combine both career and home.
 Women are good managers.
 Executive should be allowed to form unions.
 Effect of liberalization on poverty.
 Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups.
 Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they?
 Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.
 Political parties have outlived their utility.
 Is Swadeshi relevant for India today?
 Money is required to earn more money.
 Foreign trade is necessary for any country to survive .
 Presidential Vs Parliamentary form of government of India.
 Technology: The Ism' Of The New Millennium?
 Religion And Politics Should Not Mix
 TRIPS Controversy And The Patent Act Amendment
 Export Stagnation: Causes And Cures
 Excessive Depiction Of Sex And Violence In Films
 Classical Music Heritage And The Growing Pop- Culture
 Decentralisation & The Panchayati Raj Institutions
 Should India Sign The CTBT
 State Interventions In Market Kind Or Mixed Economy
 Science Is A Boon Or Bane
 Is Swapping Terrorists For Hostages An Encouragement For Plane-
Hijackers?
 India and the political dynasties: The Nehru Family context
 Nice Guys Finish Last
 All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy
 Individual Freedom And Civil Society
 Conventionalism And Modernity: The Ever going Debate
  Should There Be A Restriction On Permissiveness Being propagated by The
MTV Culture And Foreign Media?
 Marxism And Its Future All Over The World
 The Growing Menace Of Casteism And Regionalism
 Presidential Form Of Government Is Needed In India
 Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy?
 Capitation Fees Should Be Abolished
 Arranged Marriages Are Better Than The Love-Marriages
 Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped
 Business And Ethics Can't / Don't Go Together
 Are women As good as Men Or Inferior?
 Nothing Succeeds Like Success
 The Malthusian Economic Prophecy Is No Longer Relevant
 Secessionism In The North-East: Who's To Blame?
 Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan?
 Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent
 `East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is': Mark Twain
 Freedom Of _Expression And The State Authority.
 Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished
 Tuitions Should Be Banned
 India Needs Gujral Doctrine For Better International Relations
 Doctors' Accountability To Improve Health-Care
 Universal Disarmament Is A Must
 Indian Cricket Team Shouldn't Be Allowed To Play Abroad

Sample Mock GD - I
Sample Mock GD 2 >>
Candidates are divided in groups of 8 to 10 and each group is tested by a panel of
Judges. Usually topics of general interest are given by the panel to the group and
the group is asked to proceed with discussion. Every candidate is supposed to
express his opinion and views on the topic given. The time for discussion is
approximately 20 minutes. During the discussion, the panel of Judges quietly
observes the performance and behavior of the candidates and makes his own
assessment.
Mock GroupDiscussion :
Most topics are taken from the current political or economic scene so if one has just
kept abreast of current affairs, then he will be able to make a mark. We give below
a group discussion on a common topic and give some typical responses of
students. We then analyze the discussion so that readers can develop their own
strategy for themselves.
JUDGE : Good morning. You can choose any topic you like or take a slip from that
box. You are given one minute to think to start with the discussion. The observers
will not interfere in your discussion. If no conclusion is reached, we may ask each of
you to speak for a minute on the topic at the end of the discussion. The topic on the
slip is "Multinationals: Bane or Boon". I suggest you should start the discussion.
Mr A : This is a good topic. I am against multinationals. We have Coke and Pepsi.
Do we need them? We can manufacture our own soft drinks. Multinationals destroy
the local industry and sell non-essential products.
Mr B : I agree with you. What is the fun of having Coke and Pepsi? We have our
own Campa Cola.
Mr C : I think water is good enough.
Mr D : We are not here to discuss soft drinks. The topic given to us is a much larger
one. First, let us define multinational companies. They are merely large companies
which operate in a number of countries. There could be some Indian multinationals
also. So there is nothing wrong with them. The point is whether they have a good or
bad impact on the host countries. We have to discuss their business practices and
find out whether they are desirable or not.
Mr E : That is a very good introduction to the topic. Multinational companies do
serve an important function that they bring new products and technologies in
countries which do not have them. And it is not just Coke and Pepsi. They set up
power plants and build roads and bridges, which really help in the development of
host countries.
Mr F : But are they all that good? We have seen that they destroy local industry. In
India they just took over existing companies. They came in areas of low technology.
Moreover, we have to see why they come at all. They come for earning profits and
often remit more money abroad than they bring in.
Mr A : I agree with you. I am against multinationals. We can produce everything
ourselves. We should be swadeshi in our approach. Why do we need multinational
companies?
Mr E : We may not need multinational companies but then it also means that our
companies should not do business abroad. Can we live in an isolated world? The
fact is that we are moving towards becoming a global village. The world is
interconnected. Then we have also seen that foreign companies bring in business
practices that we are impressed with. Look at foreign banks. They are so efficient
and friendly that the nationalized banks look pathetic in comparison. I think we can
learn a lot from multinationals if we keep our eyes and mind open.
Mr B : Take a look at McDonald's. They are providing quality meals at affordable
prices. One does not have to wait at their restaurants.
Mr C : How do you account for the fact that they take out more than they put in and
thus lead to impoverishing the country?
Mr D : The fact is that every poor country needs foreign investment. Poor countries
often lack resources of their own. That is why they have to invite foreign companies
in. There is nothing wrong in this because then products like cars, air conditioners
and so on can be made in poor countries. Often multinationals source products
from different countries which helps boost their export earnings.
Mr E : We have been talking about Coke and Pepsi. It is well known that Pepsi is in
the foods business also and has helped farmers in Punjab by setting up modern
farms to grow potatoes and tomatoes. Modern practices have helped the people in
that area.
Mr A : I still feel that multinationals are harmful for the country.
Mr D : Well, there could be negative things associated with such companies. They
may not be very good in their practices. But can we do without them? I think the
best way is to invite them but also impose some controls so that they follow the
laws of the country and do not indulge in unfair practices.
Mr E : I think laws are applicable to everyone. Very often officials in poor countries
take bribes. The fault lies not with the company which gives a bribe but the person
who actually demands one. Why blame the companies for our own ills?
Mr A : What about the money they take out?
Mr D : We have had a good discussion and I think it is time to sum up.
Multinationals may have good points and some bad ones too, but competition is
never harmful for anyone. We cannot live in a protected economy any longer. We
have been protected for many years and the results are there for everyone to see.
Rather than be close about multinationals, let us invite them in selected areas so
that we get foreign investment in areas which we are lacking. Laws can be strictly
enforced that companies operate within limits and do not start meddling in political
affairs.
Analysis : Though Mr A started the discussion, he could not make any good points.
Later, he could not give any points about why multinationals are bad. It is also a
bad strategy to say at the outset whether you are for or against the topic.
Remember, it is not a debate but a discussion. The first step should always be to
introduce the topic without taking sides. See the way in which the discussion is
proceeding and give arguments for or against. The observer is not interested in
your beliefs but in what you are saying. The participation of Mr B and C is below
average. A candidate must make 3-4 interventions. Their arguments are also not
well thought out and add nothing to the argument. It is important to say relevant
things which make an impact rather than speak for the sake of speaking. The
arguments of Mr D and E are better. They seem to be aware of the role of
multinational companies. Mr E's approach is better as he intervenes a number of
times. He has also taken initiative in the beginning and brought order to the group.
If selection has to be made from the above six candidates, the obvious choice
would be Mr E and thereafter, Mr D.

Sample Mock GD - II
Sample Mock GD 1 >>
Aditi, Bijoy, Charu, Daisy and Ehsan are waiting for their group discussion to start.
They do not have a topic yet and are waiting for the moderator to make everybody
comfortable. There, the moderator looks at the clock and announces: “You have 5
minutes for this group discussion. And your topic is ‘How to Succeed in Group
Discussions.’ Please start.”
Bijoy: This should be interesting. A GD on GD! I suggest we should discuss the
importance of a GD first. I mean, why have a GD at all?
Charu: I find this very strange. How can you have a GD on GD? We should be
discussing some current topic to test our knowledge.
Ehsan: I agree that this is rather unusual. At the same time, our job is to conduct a
meaningful discussion regardless of the topic. Bijoy has suggested we start with the
importance of GD. Today, GD is a very important part of various selection
procedures.
Aditi: GD is all about teamwork. That’s all.
Bijoy: Management is all about working with people. I suppose GD is one way of
establishing one’s ability to work with others. How we are able to lead and be led.
Charu: (Laughs) You are using some impressive management jargon, my friend! I
don’t think GD has anything to do with leading or being led. At the most, a GD may
give an idea about how a business meeting is held. Otherwise it is only about
sharing your knowledge with others.
Bijoy: (Visibly irritated) Looks like you are very sure about your knowledge. Perhaps
there is no need for a group or even a discussion?
Ehsan: We have some interesting points here. Leadership and sharing knowledge.
Perhaps, a GD is a good tool to assess how well you are able to function within a
group.
Daisy: I want to…
Aditi: I don’t think any discussion is meaningful unless everyone has the same level
of knowledge.
Daisy: I want to say something. Pardon if I make any wrong. I am from vernacular
medium…
Aditi: Don’t waste our time talking about your background. The topic is GD. Talk
about that.
Bijoy: Every subject has various angles. So, many heads can raise many ideas.
Charu: Also, too many cooks spoil the broth (laughs).
Ehsan: Yes, a group makes it possible to brainstorm any issue. Perhaps Daisy has
something to add to this thought ...
Daisy: Thanks for giving me chance. A GD is good for ‘consensus.’ It is always
better everybody agree. Otherwise only one person is there.
Charu: (Leaning forward and pointing to Daisy) I think the correct word is
consensus. Don’t use a word unless you know what you are talking about.
Bijoy: Consensus is fine. But is it necessary that everyone should have the same
viewpoint?
Ehsan: That is an interesting thought. Yes, Daisy is right that a GD is about
consensus but there can still be differences. A GD provides an opportunity to
discuss various aspects of an issue and weigh merits and demerits of different
approaches.
Charu: Agree to disagree.
Bijoy: But the question is how to succeed in GDs. I think the first prerequisite is
patience. Some of us must learn to shut up and let others talk (looks directly at
Charu).
Aditi: If everyone follows that we will only have silence and no discussion.
Ehsan: I suppose the point is to participate and give others also a chance to
participate.
Daisy: Please can I speak?
Aditi: Come on! You don’t have to beg for permission to speak!
Daisy: I said that because I thought someone might have wanted to speak before
me. Anyway, is it not possible to only listen?
Charu: (Smirks) I don’t know how the moderator will rate your profound silence!
Bijoy: But Daisy, no one can read your mind. Unless you speak, how do you
contribute?
Ehsan: I think a GD is very much like a business meeting. Every participant may
present an individual point of view but the thinking about that point of view is
collective.
Aditi: I don’t think you can compare a GD to a business meeting. In a meeting,
there is usually a chairman whose job is to control the meeting.
Bijoy: A GD may not have a chairman but I suppose one person usually emerges
as the leader and guides the discussion.
Charu: I suppose someone fancies himself to be a leader. This is so boring!
Moderator: Your time is up. Thank you everyone.
Moderator’s notes: Ehsan shows leadership skills and the ability to hold a group
together. He appears to have a good grasp of the subject though on the whole the
GD failed to do justice to the core subject of how to succeed. Bijoy also has some
interesting ideas but is prone to being provoked easily. Charu is too sure and too
full of herself to be able to contribute to a group. Aditi is guilty of intolerance and
rude interruptions. Daisy needs to work on her language and her confidence,
though she may have the right concepts.
 SUCCESS MANTHRA

A GD is a methodology used by an organization to gauge whether the candidate

has certain personality traits and/or skills that it desires in its members. In this
methodology, the group of candidates is given a topic or a situation, given a few
minutes to think about the same, and then asked to discuss the it among
themselves for 15-20 minutes.
Some of the personality traits the GD is trying to gauge may include :-

Ability to work in a team

Communication skills
Reasoning ability
Leadership skills
Initiative
Assertiveness
Flexibility
Creativity
Ability to think on ones feet

Why GDs:-

The reason why institutes put you through a Group discussion and an interview,
after testing your technical and conceptual skills in an exam, is to get to know you
as a person and gauge how well you will fit in their institute. The Group discussion
tests how you function as a part of a team. As a manager, you will always be
working in teams, as a member or as a leader. Therefore how you interact in a
team becomes an important criterion for your selection. Managers have to work in a
team and get best results out of teamwork. That is the reason why management
institutes include GD as a component of the selection procedure.

Company's Perspective:-

Companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your
interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The
GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much
importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you
listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views
contrary to your own. The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication,
non-verbal behavior, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and
cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.
Topic: TCS Interveiw process and Questions
Posted: 02 July 2006 at 12:02am hi everyone...i am from st.jospehs college of
engg,chennai!!

TCS was the first company that came to my college...and by Gods grace i got
placed!!I was just as nervous u ppl are...but still,apt preparation and luck helped me
through!!

I will give a detailed explanation of what actually happened..the entire interview

process happened in the MBA/MCA block of my college.

PHASE ONE: APTITUDE TEST

We had an online test...NO NEGATIVE MARKING & NO SECTIONWISE

CUT-OFF(so e'one plz attend every single ques thats present)

VERBAL was difficult..in the sense that it ddnt hav words frm prev papers!!!
QUANTZ was the easiest,i had already seen 90% of the questions of this
section,from the previous TCS papers!!
LOGICAL REASONING or watever u call it,was Latin n Greek for me...i tink u can
get a clue about it from BARRONS 12th EDITON.

When the time eventually got over, I thought I would get the message "sorry better
luck next time”, but by god's grace I got "congratulations,you can move to the next
level".

I was on cloud nine...I was then given a TCS application form which I duly filled.
The form was given to my placement in-charge. I reached home at 9 pm and my
tech interview was around 9am the next day.

NOTE: the TCS application form is your key from here on.

PHASE TWO:TECHNICAL INTERVIEW

Once you clear aptitude(level one)..ur 80% done!The interviewers were really
friendly...especially mine.There was a lady and a gentleman.

I opened the door and asked their permission to enter,with a 1000W smile on my
face.They then asked me sit down...i said thanks and sat down.My resume and
stuff was on my lap..tey never asked for it.All they reffered to was the application
form that I had filled.

The gentleman asked me as to why i had scored low in my 10th and semester(70%
cbse and 71.25% aggr respctvly).Maybe he wanted to break the ice by asking an
imformal questions...anyway i replied with confidence.Then he asked me what my
favourite subject was..i said physics.

He asked me what SONAR meant...i really dont knw..i said it was related with
sound and had DOPPLER EFFECT as a basis.He said,"thats good.but acn u
explain?"I ddnt knw and i said so.
Then he asked me about concave & convex lens and keplers law of gravitation.I
ddnt answer them correctly,so we moved on to the core subjects.

My areas of interest are DBMS and s/w engg..so the madam strtd now.She asked
me the various phases of s/w enggineering (a very genreal ques)..i answered it.
Then i was to write a c-program to reverse a string and the next question was about
singularly linked-list from data-structures.Lastly dbms concepts..i spoke for two
minutes wen tey told me its enuf...i knew i had done well.

In between I actually stammered,but I was not reprimanded.They reassured me by

telling that,they exactly knew how I was feeling.I was asked to relax…from here on I
spoke confidently till the end of the HR.

They asked me wether I had any questions..i asked them about the prospect of
higher education through TCS.After these, I was asked to wait outside.

I was waiting nervously outside my TECH interview room..when finally,I was asked
to go down for the MR(same as HR) interview.....RELIEF flowed through my entire
body.I knew that once I reached this level…there is no going back.

THE FINAL PHASE:

I could see happy faces outside the HR room..evidently fuelled by the fact that they
will get selected.I had to wait a long time to meet my HR interviewer(he was a bit
busy) which I did not mind at all.Meanwhile I asked my other friends as to what they
were asked…some unlucky guys were drilled a lot on tech..most of the ppl had had
just a casual chat.

PEOPLE...the important thing is not what u say..it is...how u say it!!!

COMMUNICATION is what people expect from u here...u communicate effectively,
ur through.Finally i went in to meet my interviewer.I was beaming at him and when I
reached the table,I shook hands and sat down.He was really sweet.He actually
apologised for the delay(3hours actually)..i said it was no problem.

He intially asked me why i wanted to join TCS..i answered it from my heart(i had
selected my college during counselling to get placed in a dream company like urs
sir.and here I am,watching my dream come through).

Next,"ok these are the reasons u want to join TCS. Why should we hire you??".My
answer was that I do all the work tht i undertake with utmost sincerity and
dedication ....(I finished it with an example of how I handle my exams.)

Next he asked me as to what books i read(my hobby is reading)..i told,i started

reading in my 3rd class with enid blyton then nancy drew-sherlock holmes-sydney
sheldon-michael crichton-dan brown ...at this juncture we started conversing about
THE DA VINCI CODE!!

finally he asked me as to wether i hav ny ques..i asked him not one but THREE!!
#1.sir,the prospects of higher education in TCS.
#2.What does TCS actually expect from its newly-joining freshers??
#3.What actually happens during the training?and after the training??
When we were finished ...i shaked hands and said"it was a pleasure meeting u sir."
I smiled and left with a feeling of jubiliation.

It was a long wait starting from 5pm..which eventually ended at 730pm.

When my name was read out it was like,” oh my god, I really made it through”.i was
delighted!!!I thanked GOD and congragulated all my friends.

Total students appeared: 400 odd

Students cleard for tech: 191
Filtered no. for HR : 145

No. selected for placement: 122

The only thing to be remembered after the aptitude level is…CONFIDENCE.

Believe in your-self…you can do it.

Any help , plz do feel free to contact me at :

sat1_89@yahoo.com
[note:plz excuse if any spelling mistakes are present]

ALL THE BEST ppl :-)

It would be really bad of me if i ddnt thank freshersworld.com...i have been
following this site rite from my 4th semester....thanks a lot to the staff and
administrator of www.freshersworld.com !!!

Keep up the good work

Hey Guys,

This is a general information mail to all of you regarding the job market.

Like everybody is saying these days that job market is preety good to fetch you a
job, which i believe is and not. It is because of the fact that there are a lot of
vacancies in the companies and there arent because there are most of us who
have completed their Engineer/Management degree and want to work in the same
field. A computer guy want to become an software/test/network engineer.

I dont agree because its not easy to go through the pain of not getting a job
although the market is very good. There are a couple of reasons which one should
assess because they go abruptly looking out for a job. There are

1. Can you support all the instances mentioned in your resume?

2. Does your resume hold good?
3. Have you worked enough during your college days to show few things in
your resume?
4. Are you good at a Technology/Area/Domain?
5. Are you confident about your communication skills?
6. According to me this is the most important of all - Do you have
percentages to support your academic qualification during your school days
and college days - Because indirectly many-a-things your resume speaks for
you.

I believe the following should be evident from one's resume

1. If you have hidden something, say your percentages, the HR would directly
think its low and would reject it. Hence PLEASE do mention your percentages
even if they are low they arent going to be hidden in case you are lucky to be
called by the HR
2. Make sure you have a good section of academic profile shown. Please try
and work hard on the area you like and make sure you do learn something
about it, to make you feel confident that you are an hero in that area. Say, if i
mention that i am good at marketting, i should have something done in that
area to feel confident that i am an marketting chap, besides this a good and a
healthy project which should be described well in my resume with proper
evidence. This will impress any HR who observes it and would help the
person understand that this candidate has some motive in life towards which
he has worked on.
3. Make sure you contact the right person for the right time. By this i mean
that you should have a thorogh study of the test/interview of the companies
you are going to sit on and keep updating your resume likewise. Say if you
are sitting for the BIG MNC's in INDIA - Infosys, Wipro, TCS, CTS where your
resume wont matter much as their interview are pretty straight fwd, but if you
go for the mid size companies say TeleLogic, NIIT Technologies,AZTECH
etc... Your profile would matter a lot, you should learn about the company
and make sure that you put relevant projects accordingly. Say for ex...ABC
companies works in Java then it would be great if you show a project in
CORE JAVA/J2EE. That would boost them to pick you up and also if you
really have worked on it, it would help you also to go with confidence.

Please make sure that you are aware of yourself before you jump in the job
market. It would be of not much help, there are cases which have worked
the other way around, but consider yourself unlucky and make sure you are
ready to face a stiff challenge.

Another personal advice is that, while you are hunting make sure that you do
a lot of research in the area which you like and do as many certifications you
can. You can find excuses of saying that you dont have money, but you can
do work in a call center at ease and then fund urself. It’s all in the MIND. If you
have the power to overcome you will emerge as a TRUE CHAMPION....and i
can assure to support you as much as i can.

Please dont fwd resume to me!!!

Please dont fwd resume to me!!!
Please dont fwd resume to me!!!
If i get to know about any opportunity i shall let you know.

I hope my words have made a good impact on you.

Please let me know in case you need any help

"Its all in the attitude" - Just Do It.