IIM Indore Group discussion and PI Experiance


I am a compt Engg. 29months exp. 99.01 in Cat. IIM Indore call.


GD

Case.. Transport company meeting. Company in some issues due to recession.
2 proposals with the company:-

1. To go for a new client in existing business, investment need 8-9 lacs
2. to go into a new business area for an existing client, investment needed 5 lacs.


GD was relatively good. everyone had the opportunity to participate. I felt I did well.



After the GD I was asked for the photocopies of the marklists, I had left that at home. I had to let them know about it as it was asked in the GD hall itself... embarrasing. Since I had already called someone, it reached soon. So no fatal damage... I hope.


PI

There were 2 panelists, lets say p1 and p2.

P2: Who is infy CFO
Me: I am unable to recollect the name sir. Mohandas Pai handed it over to this person.

P2: His name is similar to yours
Me: I remember now, It is Balakrishnan.

P2: U r guessing based on the hint.
Me: No Sir, now I remember seeing the name in a quaterly results presentation.


p1: You have written that "Listening and Analysing AR Rahman music" is an interest. What do you men by analysing. Have you ever worked with a synthesiser.
Me: Said about how I feel Rahmans music has been evolving for Raw and electronic kinda music to more classical , Live orchestra music. And how unlike his earlier days it takes few listenings to like his music.

P1: Fav subjects
Me: OS, C programming

P1: What is shell
Me: Said

P1: Whats is kernel
Me: Said

P1: Data warehouse
Me: Said what I know.

P1: What is Queuing System
Me: Guessed. Told something about Queues in batch processing systems.

Thats the end of Acads. Thank God.


P1: What is Capital Expenditure
Me: (I had mentioned CAPEX in the GD and the summary). Said what I know.

Long silence. Then P1 walks away, switches on something and adjusts some GD seats.

P2: You have mentioned Investing in stocks is your interest. Tell me abouyt the current crisis.
Me: Subprime, Slight cool off in Asia, Flight of FII capital, Possible US recession.


P2: Tell about subprime crisis
Me: Done. (I had collected some info about it. I was happy about it being asked)

P2: No No . Tell me what the word Sub Prime Means
Me: Did

P2: Then what is "Prime"
Me: Some guesing. Should be right

P2: How is prime lending rates decided in India
Me: RBI fixes after Credit Policy review every quarter (eeeeh.... shouldnt have been so naively incorrect).

P2: Seems like you are just guessing and dont know exacltly
ME: Sir, Although I am not very well versed with this topic, I know some facts.

P2: What is Bank Rate
Me: Interest rate given to banks on their deposits with RBI.
(This is wrong. It is the interst charged on RBI lending to banks... another mistake. Got confused btn Repo rates and Bank Rate)


P2: Avg PE ratio of sensex stocks
Me: Said

P2: Chairman of US federal reserve.
Me: I know the name, But am not able to recollect.
(He gave hints, still couldnt recollect.)


P2: Previous
ME: Alan Greenspan

P2: RBI Deputy Governor
Me: I dont know Sir.

P2: RBI Gov
Me: Y V Reddy

P2: Planning commision Deputy Chairperson
Me: I dont know, Sir

P2: Chairperson
Me: Ahluwalia.

p2 mentions He is the deputy.
(I guess PM is the chairperson)


P2: Any extra curricular that u want us to note
Me: Used to assemble and sell computers

P1: That is not very technical. Something else
Me: I agree it is not that technical. I was interested in programming.

P1: Any achievements, Country, Dist or col level.
Me: Wont 2nd price in open softwarte inter collegiate contest orgnsd by my col.
(The frowning look in P1's face doesn't change)


P1: You may leave
Me: Sir, I am unable to recollect the name of the US federal reserve, But I know he tutored under the current head of the central Bank of Israel.

P2: One more hint, His first name is Ben
Me: Ben Bernanke


Me: Thanks you sir.



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Update: This interview has been good enough. Will be a member of Class of 2010, IIM Indore.

Education for Prosperity

I am writing this to share with you a dream that I saw. A dream to that would create a revolution in our country and around the world. A dream that could put a smile on millions of faces. A dream that could enable millions more to dream.

Read further if you are interested.

Not long ago a survey by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEPD) was published. The survey was on the state of jobs in BRIC countries. The survey finds that 11 million jobs were created in India per year during the period from 2000- 2005. This no., according to the survey, was significantly higher than the no. of jobs created in developed countries and more developed developing countries. Of this figure, the survey says, 85+ percent of the jobs were in paltry waged informal and unorganized enterprises. Probing for reasons the survey finds out startling facts of state of education in India.

It finds, In India for every 21 year old who has cleared secondary education, there are four who haven't. For every single person who has a completed some higher education, there are 12 who haven't. We are not even talking about the standard of education that produced those 8 percent who have completed something after secondary school. Isn't this startling? Unfortunately government hasn't been able to or been concerned to do anything to change this situation. These meager percentages represent people who are less than 21 years old. Don't even dare to look at numbers considering the full population. Given the incapable government, the onus rests on us, the socially conscious ones blessed with education and technology, to solve the problem.

What if we share our education using technology? In a few years from now Internet is going to reach India's villages. Our telecommunications companies and MNCs will find ingenuous ways to monetize a huge untapped market. Of course there wont be internet connection for all homes. May be there won't even be a computer or even telephone or still even electricity for all. We are assuming none of it. All we are assuming is that the companies will put Internet in places reachable by the poor millions, like corporation schools, panchayat kiosks and so on.

Our idea is to create a portal. Something like a free online university. A university that will not involve itself with providing degrees. But it would offer free education to anyone who seeks it. It will utilize all forms of media (text, Audio, Video, Flash,etc) to teach lessons that are taught in the best of schools, to all. The content in the portal will be at least as high in quality as what the best of school offers. All this and more without charging.

We feel such a portal will help everyone. The students in cities will use it to overcome their inability to study in the best school of town. The students and teachers in smaller towns will be abreast with the most modern concepts and ways of expressing them. The teachers of village and corporation schools will have a place to look for when they are unsure of what and how to teach. And so on. This portal will make it possible for anyone to have access to the best education, wherever he is, whenever he wants it.

Using this technology, over a period of time, more people will be employable and the country can get out of the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer syndrome.

Evolving this idea and contemplating its practicalities are part of my first feeble steps towards the realization of my dream. Please let us know what you thing of it, so that our next steps could be surer.

Yours,

A fellow citizen.