From one tweet to mayhem..

On 12th April, 2010, among the millions and millions of "tweets" being sent all around the world, there was one particular tweet from a certain Lalit Modi that caught the eye. He, for his own reasons, decided to reveal the names of the stakeholders lof the Kochi IPL franchise on a public domain for the world to see. All it took was that one tweet from Modi to open up Pandora's box and gradually unearth what could turn out to be one of the biggest and ugliest scams this country has seen. The black hole now known popularly as "IPL-gate" soon started sucking in filmstars, politicians, businessmen, sportspersons, administrators....it spared none. Sharks in the media too were out for blood and a piece of the action, and, as I type this, one victim has already been claimed - Shashi Tharoor, former minister and one of the finest orators our country has seen.

Make no mistake about it, no one here is right, and no one is wrong. It's just a question of determining the lesser of two evils. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi thought he had produced a master-stroke by tweeting the names of the Kochi franchise stakeholders to resolve a potential conflict of interest, but little would he have known that it would backfire on him so badly. He is now on the verge of being ousted from the IPL governing council, and thrown out of the very enterprise he was responsible for conceptualising and conceiving. Yes, one may say that the idea isn't exactly original - similarities may be drawn with football leagues around the world and the (now bankrupt) Indian Cricket League (ICL), but one cannot argue that no brand has been built up and established in as short a span of time as IPL. The amount of money involved in the IPL is astounding, and at times even scary. When one is talking about thousands of crores of rupees exchanging hands, disparities and discrepancies are inevitable as one can easily tend to get carried away. And with Lalit being at the centre of all these dealings, it wouldn't be surprising to see him taking advantage of a number of such situations. There's always a line, and it's now upto the government and Income-Tax officials to see if that line has been crossed.

Coming to Shashi Tharoor, I must admit I was deeply disheartened to hear the kind of excuses he was offering, when it was blatantly clear what he was trying to do. I used to admire the man, and was always in awe of him whenever I heard him give a speech. Claiming that he was merely a "mentor" to the Kochi consortium is nothing short of farcical, given that his "partner" Sunanda Pushkar was given such a substantial stake as free equity. Who is this Sunanda Pushkar anyway? Well, apparently she's involved in multiple businesses. Apart from running a spa in Dubai, she holds an executive's post with an infrastructure company owned by the Emirate government. She has previously worked at an IT firm in Toronto and a travel agency in Dubai. The big question is: Is it mere co-incidence that she also happens to be involved in a relationship with Shashi Tharoor? There seems to be no real reason why she of all people was gifted that sweat equity if Mr. Tharoor had nothing to do with it. The bottom line is that Tharoor has abused his power as a minister to get a personal favour done; it doesn't matter whether he directly profits from it or not. As such, he was really left with no choice but to resign from his post.

The number of public figures being dragged into this just seems to increase day by day, with the likes of Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar also being added to the list. The ways in which power is being abused is extremely disturbing - the latest revelation being that of a commercial Air India flight from Delhi to Mumbai making an unscheduled stop in Jaipur to pick up the Mumbai Indians team. I mean, seriously, who do these people think they are to play around with the common man? It just gets murkier and murkier with each passing day, and the IPL's functioning and brand value may have sustained irreparable damage over the past few weeks.

Lesson to be learnt from all this: watch what you tweet, 'cos it may just come back to bite you in the a** someday!!

Life....wassup...blah..

So much has been on my mind in the last few days, what with the IIM-Calcutta selection and everything, that I've been trying to think too fast.....and it's been scaring me to be quite honest. So I just decided to block it all out and distract myself for the time-being.....I've got 2 months to deal with it all and I'll take it one step at a time. I had the perfect distraction too: five seasons of 24!! What a show, edge of the seat stuff literally!! I watched the 3rd season in 1.5 days flat I think! Now in the middle of the 5th....! It's one of the few shows I've seen that actually makes me feel involved and in the middle of it all. It's not a series where I really admire any particular character or in awe of anyone, like Michael Scofield in Prison Break or Barney Stintson in HIMYM. Not even Jack Bauer....honestly, I'm not a big fan of his character, even though he ends up as the hero at the end of each day. He makes questionable choices and relies too much on instinct, which is sometimes surreal and hard to believe. What clicks for 24 is its fast-paced, high adrenaline action that grips you to the core, with each episode ending on an extreme cliffhanger. And I'm looking forward to much much more in the days to come..!

I'm missing the guyz at office tremendously.....those 20 months I spent there were the best of my life, and its taken a while to adjust to this new self-enforced break before my MBA. Thankfully, I bought my new HP Pavilion dv6-2159 laptop immediately, and its kept me busy :) The timing of my departure and the co-incidental shifting of offices for Su, Mark n Jidda seem to have brought a massive change to batch 3, as we move further and further apart.......I just hope those of you in Mumbai will keep meeting up and keep batch 3 alive....just 'cos you're in different offices doesn't mean y'all should never meet, so keep doing that.

Priorities have changed since the IIMC result.....unfortunately, I need to get back into study mode and prepare to compete with the best in the country in a couple of months time! It's a whole new ball-game now...and the prospect of having to mix it up with the creme de la creme seems both intimidating, yet exciting. I'm still waiting for my IIM-A result, and should I get that, its probably going to be the biggest decision of my life: A or C? I'm inclining towards A at the moment - about 52-48. Still need to speak to a few more people before I decide though....

Lots been happening in India and the rest of the world as well.....ash clouds (might as well be the name of a cloud computing firm started by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) in Europe, Twittergate between Tharoor and Modi, IPL, Greek crisis, Sania-Shoaib saga etc etc etc. One piece of news I read today brought a huge smile to my face: fiiiinalllly, to the relief of thousands of fans across the world, Liverpool's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet Jr. have decided to sell the club and leave. And good riddance at that! Those two fools have taken the club into turmoil, resulting in our soon-to-be poorest finish in at least 5 years in the Premier League and loss of a Champions League spot. Their mismanagement and decisions have cost the club dearly, and they have dumped over $400 million of debt on the club. Although there have been quite a few tactical mistakes made by Rafa Benitez this season, I am definitely not of the opinion that he is to blame for the club's debacle this season; his hands were quite clearly tied. Lack of funds led to lack of quality on the pitch, and that coupled with Gerrard having his worst season ever and Torres out most of the time through injury has seen the club go from one disappointment to the other. Hopefully, the new owner(s) will bring in more room for optimism through greater support for the manager and funds to buy creative and quality players, especially in midfield.

That's it for now....back to 24! :)

Six days of madness - part 6

Day 6: April 1, 2010
Call: IIM Lucknow

Ok, now, I was in no mood for this GDPI....quite simply because of what lay ahead after I would be done with it - FREEDOM!! At least temporarily......this being the last of the GDPIs, and the previous day having been my last day at work, I would be free and relaxed at home with not too much to do for 2 months!! I was soo looking forward to that....so all I could think of was, get it over with quickly..!

Of course, it did help that it was scheduled in the morning, and I was second in line for the interview. But first, the pressing matter of an essay and a GD - both on the same topic: "In a socialist country like India, salaries of private executives should be capped.." (again don't really rem the exact words, but along those lines). Nice topic....wrote well.....GD was also very good....discussed how India isn't exactly socialist but a mixed economy after 1991....talked about competition in private sector, how it's boosting the Indian economy, and how salaries play an important role....capping isn't the solution, but more emphasis should be given on equitable distribution of wealth in an organisation......more tax incentives for donating to charity etc.........good stuff, but we soon ran out of points, and thankfully one person concluded in time just as we ran out!!

Interview time: two panelists P1, P2, both male, both faculty. P2 started glancing through my certificates while P1 began the questioning

P1: So tell me about yourself..
Me: For one last time..
P1: So what exactly does your work at Wipro entail?
Me: Told..
P1: You seem to be doing well in your job...why the switch to MBA?
Me: Blah..
P1: Hmm....Electronics and Telecom eh....how is this industry doing in India?
Me: Mentioned how telecom is the fastest growing sector in India....Bharti-Zain deal etc..
P1: What are your views on the deal?
Me: Told..
P1: Do you think Sunil Mittal has done the right thing by going through with this deal?
Me: Told how he wanted to build Bharti-Airtel as a global brand etc.
P1: But there are so many critics slamming the deal..
Me: Said how those critics were looking at short-term, Sunil Mittal had a long-term plan...
P1: (seemed satisfied) So why IIM-Lucknow, Arvind?
Me: Standard answer.....told about student culture, industry exposure, all-round development..
P1: But you find those in pretty much all the major B-schools isn't it?
Me: Told every B-school is different....e.g IIMC places high emphasis on academics....IIML is more inclusive development...blah blah....somehow he seemed satisfied with it!

He then looked at P2, to ask whether he had any questions...
P2: I don't see your marksheets among these certificates, Arvind....do you have them?
Me: Oh yes, sir (handed them over)
P2: (goes through it) So tell me about some of your achievements..
Me: mentioned leadership stuff, my USP..
P2: Do you have any achievements at State or National level?
Me: mentioned all-India 3rd rank in National Cyber Olympiad....also mentioned International Theatre Festival....
P2: (nodded, looks at P1, who nods as well) Ok, Arvind, I think that's about it....thank you..
Me: Thank you, Sirs..!

And.....done!!! FREEDOM!!! RELIEF!!! It's all over..! The same kind of relief I felt after I completed my engineering swept through me! Oh, the joy!! And it ended on a good note as well....that was by far the best interview among the four IIMs. Anyway, I didn't care, 'cos I had survived.......six days of madness, and I came through it unscathed! Time to finish some formalities in office, then go home and sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!

Six days of madness - part 5

Day 5: March 30, 2010
Call: SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai

I had to drag myself out of bed at 6.30 a.m to get ready for my SP Jain interview, after an exhausting day earlier. This was going to be an interesting one, since there was no GD, no essay - but two rounds of group interviews (two if you clear round 1 i.e). And, traditionally, no technical questions asked, so I fancied my chances here slightly. As I reached the institute campus, I was instantly disappointed - it was hardly even a campus, just one building, not very impressive. The campus is actually shared with the likes of Bhavan's college and SP CoE. Anyway, after registering inside, we were asked to complete a psychometric test - a bunch of statements about ourselves that we had to strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with. This was to play a part in the second round of interviews, if we made it there i.e! We were then called for our first round of interview.

There were 7 members in our group for the first round, and 4 panelists (two faculty, a head of Marketing at Kingfisher Airlines, and an executive from Tata group). This was a very general interview round. It started off with each one of us giving the standard "tell-me-about-yourself" answer, followed by one unique strength or characteristic about us. I mentioned my leadership/organisational experiences and how I could become an effective leader. We were then given a situation where we were to get sponsors for the Force India Formula1 team, and were asked how we would go about selling the team and the sport to the sponsors. We mentioned various USPs including the idea of India on the world stage, the "Green" concept, using promotional events to increase the popularity of the sport etc. Quite decent, overall. And that was it for the first round.

Four members from our group, including me, were selected for the second round. The groups were then shuffled and different panels allocated for the second round. This time, there were 6 members in my group, and 2 panelists, both faculty. We once again introduced ourselves in the oh-so-familiar way. We were then asked one dream that we possessed, apart from our MBA and our career after that. People gave varied answers, from wanting to play for Manchester United, to doing something novel in education, lots of stuff. I said I wanted to buy Liverpool Football Club sometime in the future :). One of the panelists asked me about someone already wanting to buy it, and I nodded, speaking about Anil Ambani and his reported interest in the club. The next sequence of questions was based on our psychometric test. The panelists picked out one statement from our psychometric forms and grilled each one of us on it. Here's how mine went:

Panelists P1, P2 and Me
P2: So, "I always worry about my shortcomings" - you strongly disagree. Would you like to elaborate?
Me: Obliged....told how I instead work on them to improve them so they wouldn't be shortcomings anymore...etc..
P2: Tell me one thing....why do you work on your shortcomings when you could instead work on your strengths?
Me: Blah..
P1: Ok let's consider this situation....there are two children, one weak in Maths and Science and good at Arts.....the other good at Maths and Science but weak at Arts.....what would you advise them to do, work on their strength or their weakness?
Me: Said I'd ask the children what they wanted to do and what really interested them....if the child who's weak in Arts has an interest in it, I'd advise him to work hard at it rather than telling him you can't be an artist 'cos you're weak at it...etc etc
P2: But isn't a lot of talent in our country being wasted because they're doing things they're naturally not skilled in?
Me: Some more blah...
P1: But we'd see a lot more success if people were encouraged to focus on what they're good at, isnt it?
Me: (idea!) Sir, have you read Andre Agassi's autobiography?
P1: No...why?
Me: If you read even the first page of his book, sir, you'll notice he says "I hate tennis....have always hated it and will continue to hate it".....he talks about how he was forced into tennis by his father, made to attend a rigorous, hellish tennis camp just because he seemed to possess a natural penchant for it......he never wanted to play tennis, and was never happy with it......he may seem a huge tennis star and highly successful to us, but if you ask him, he would never say he is successful, quite simply because it wasnt something he wanted to do......(i don't remember what else I said exactly, but continued along this line.......simply put, I had never ever given a more convincing answer in my life...and don't think I ever will!!! Once I was done, both panelists were speechless....dumbstruck......they had no answer......they set out to take my case, but ended up having their own cases taken! The expressions on their faces gave me immense pleasure, and that one moment completely made up for all the horrors I endured in the interviews before this one!!)

They rounded off by asking how I had worked at my shortcomings and how I had improved them......I gave an example of how I wasn't really good at marketing and didn't do a very good job of getting sponsors for our college festival in my initial years (blabbered, but convincingly enough!) and then how I improved on it. We were each then asked to compare ourselves with an animal.....I said cheetah, 'cos I'm a quick learner and adapt quickly to situations (again, blabbered!) And that was it.......for the first time, I walked out of an interview room with a smile on my face! This was quite good.....and I knew one thing.....I had either clinched it, or guaranteed myself a rejection.....depends on how sporting the panelists were!!

Six days of madness - part 4

Day 4 : March 29, 2010
Call: IIM-Ahmedabad

6.00 am....Ahmedabad Railway Station...I step off the Gujarat Mail, and say to myself, "Into the hands of fate!". The moment that I had both eagerly anticipated and dreaded at the same time was finally here. After having a quick bite at a local restaurant which was fortunately open, given the time, I took a rick to the IIMA campus. I realized how early I was when I found the campus completely deserted. It was a good one hour before another candidate sauntered in. And then, on cue, they all started streaming in. It was good to see a few familiar faces from the IIMC GDPIs as well. Soon, bang on time at 8.45 am, we were led into our respective rooms for the essay and PI (no GD here). Again, a pretty thought-provoking topic for the essay: "Are Gandhian principles relevant in society today?" I was able to ramble on and fill the required space within the allotted 10 minutes, and was relieved - stage one done, now for the big stage two. Second in line for the interview this time around.....and before I knew it, I was called in....

Panelists: P1 (male), P2 (female)

P1: So tell us about yourself, Arvind..
Me: Here we go again...
P1: (smug expression) Ah, an electronics engineer... (looks at P2 and smiles, I was like "what on earth was that??")
P2: Can you tell me about the latest TRAI guidelines?
Me: (whaaa??!) Ma'm, do u mean regarding the 3G spectrum auction?
P2: Yes, what are the criteria set for the auction?
Me: (Oh flip, God help me....time to think on my feet) Told whatever sounded logical....turnover, infrastructure etc..
P2: What else? What do they require in infrastructure?
Me: (and the torture begins..) blabbered about cell sites, coverage, equipment....
P2: So what exactly are the requirements?
Me: Sorry, not aware of the exact requirements...
P2: Any other criteria?
Me: Not that I'm aware of...
P1: What do you know about 4G?
Me: Told whatever I knew..
P1: So 4G seems to be better right?
Me: Yes, sir
P1: Then why all this haggling over 3G...why don't we go in for 4G directly?
Me: More blabbering about upgradation capability, bandwidth requirements and any shit that came in my head..!
P1: Do you know any countries that have implemented 4G?
Me: had read something about it being implemented in some Scandinavian countries, Japan...mentioned that...
P1: Ok....( went through my essay).....so why do u think Gandhian principles are still followed?
Me: Told....stumbled a bit in between but caught myself...
P1: What about all these Maoists and all?
Me: Said how they are using the wrong means to state their point....how they won't succeed...etc..
P1: Do you think Narendra Modi follows Gandhian values?
Me: (was about to say hell no! but then realized this is Ahmedabad!!!) Stated both sides of the issue....took diplomatic approach...

Then came the humdinger....P2 gave me a probability question to solve.....whaat?? Firstly I hate probability....and that's what I get in probably the most important interview of my life! Took couple of minutes to think about it....then she asked me to solve it on the blackboard that was there in the room....I somehow put forward a solution....don't know whether it was right or wrong, their expressions didn't convey anything either.....but that was all. I was stunned as I left the room......what on earth was that?! Where did probability come from?!!! Nowhere in my application had I mentioned anything about probability.....and its not like I got bad marks in any probability-related subject either! But then, IIM-A is IIM-A, expect the unexpected, I suppose! And that was as unexpected as it got....! Anyway, I was relieved it was over at least!

I glanced at the time in my watch: 9.30 am...wow that was fast! And I got a flight back to Mumbai at 6.15 pm......lots of time to kill, question is how?! I wasn't really interested in seeing the city....so after hanging around and chatting with other candidates for some time, I ventured out with another friend, whose interview was before mine, and who was staying in a hotel with his family. After freshening up a bit in his room, I decided to spend my time in a cyber-cafe somewhere preparing for SP Jain the next day. Spent a couple of hours there....then headed to a restaurant nearby for what turned out to be the best, yummiest meal I had had outside home for aaaaages!! A typical Gujarati thali.....with kadhi, all those Gujarati dishes whose names I can't remember....and best of all, aamras!! Oh man, the aamras!! I had like 5 cups I think! And they just keep coming and re-filling your plates.....they keep coming! As much as you want......I finish off one cup of aamras....immediately that guy comes and asks me "Sir, ras?"....and I hold out my cup with glee! After a really heavy, sumptuous, full-on paisa vasool lunch, I did some more net-surfing, before heading to the airport and taking a flight back home. A weird interview, but the lunch made my day!!! :)

Six days of madness - part 3

Day 3 : 27th March, 2010
Call: Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

It was an early Saturday morning trip back to Dadar yet again for me, and all I could think of was, let's just finish this off asap and get home. With the IIM-A interview edging closer, it was beginning to occupy my mind more and more. Thankfully, this time, I was first in line for the interview! Some people would rather not have their interview first up, but in my case, it was exactly what I wanted. Of course, before the interview, there was the not-so-small matter of a GD to complete. The person who was supposed to be 2nd hadn't turned up, so the seat next to me was empty. I felt a bit isolated 'cos of that, and wanted to make sure I began the GD in order to blend in easily. The topic was a good one: " Our roads and cities are crowded and polluted enough, we don't need small cars like the Nano". And fortunately, I did indeed begin the GD and put in some good points. Another healthy discussion, I was glad at least all my GDs were panning out well.

Interview time, and I thought since I was first up I should be done pretty quickly, but they made me wait almost 20 minutes before calling me in! Talk about frustration!! Anyway, here goes...

Panelists: P1 (female faculty), P2 (male faculty)

P2: So tell me about yourself, Arvind.
Me: Same ol' stuff...
P2: Wipro, eh? Wipro always seems to be in the news for the wrong reasons....fraud, the World Bank situation.....why are you working for such a company?
Me: (umm...duh...! It's not like I had a choice, they acquired our previous company!!!!) Blabbered some stuff about Wipro's growth, values.....
P2: Do you think Wipro is an ethical company?
Me: Told....mentioned a recent example from work where the management displayed ethics..
P2: What about the World Bank situation with Wipro...what can u tell me about that?
Me: (Damn, what exactly was it, was quite a long time back!) Fumbled through it..
P2: But what exactly happened?
Me: Fumbled again....made the mistake of mentioning the term "insider trading" in between..
P2: Insider trading? What's that?
Me: Gave a very vague description....
P2: Arvind, do you know you're not quite being precise with your answers?
Me: (%$$@!!@#$....!!) Sorry, sir, will surely improve from here on in...
P2: Ok tell me about this whole global economic downturn....where did it begin? And be precise, this time..
Me: (smiled, ah this I knew) Told about real estate situation in US...sub-prime...banks collapsing...blah blah..
P2: All right.....tell me, Arvind, have you heard of Robin Hood?
Me: Yes, sir
P2: Was he real?
Me: He is believed to be, sir, as there are many references and memorials in Nottingham in his memory....but there is no hard evidence.....
P2: Ok, what did he do?
Me: told about robbing from rich, giving to poor..
P2: Do you think what he did was right?
Me: Said no, explained..
P2: But he was helping the poor and doing a good deed right?
Me: Told about how poor should earn their money, not just have it handed to them....rich also have earned their money....etc etc..
P2: Ok, now suppose you were to justify what Robin Hood did....what would you say? Give me the counter-view...
Me: Told..

P2 then finally says something, describes a situation where I had to assume I had a chance to win a huge deal with a client for Wipro, but it involved a pay-off to the client....ethics stuff basically...I said I wouldn't go for it....against my principles, company's values etc etc.....they tried to grill me on it but I stood firm...

P1: Ok, Arvind, so what newspapers do you read?
Me: Told TOI, Economic Times...
P1: What do you read in TOI?
Me: mentioned main headlines...city news, editorial, sports etc..
P1: All right, describe the editorial page for me
Me: Described....some cross-questioning on that as well...

And that was it....! Didn't start off too well, but a pretty strong ending.....felt quite good about it....anyway, the big daddy next up, IIM-Ahmedabad!!

Six days of madness - part 2

Day 2: March 26, 2010
Call: IIM-Kozhikode

3 days after a horrific start to my GDPI marathon, I returned to the scene of the disaster - this time to face the gang from down south, Kozhikode. As I mentioned in my previous post, I knew things could only get better - so I was kinda upbeat. This time, an essay was added into the mix, and with quite a humdinger of a topic too - "Fools and fanatics are always so sure of themselves, but wise people are always full of doubts." That's IIM for you.....weird, yet thought-provoking! Filled up 1.5 pages somehow....wrote about the way people are perceived in society, how people are only branded fools 'cos they go against norms established in society etc etc......was sufficiently happy with my effort. On to the GD....topic: a long paragraph, basically about conservation of water, how it is misused, farmers suffering etc. Nice topic to discuss......the first thing that came to my mind was the pipeline bursts in Mumbai the previous day. I brought that point up, and a few others.....I must admit that my group was excellent and very knowledgeable....came up with some amazing facts.....one person even brought up the point that just a few days earlier, the world celebrated "World Water Day".....wow, never knew that! All in all, a healthy discussion, well-structured with some very good points.....panel seemed to be satisfied.

Interview time....I was 6th in line, so a long wait...not helped by the fact that the panel was spending almost half an hour with every candidate!

Panelists P1 (very young guy, probably a recent alumnus), P2 (long beard, looked like a sadhu! Later came to know that he was in fact very religious), P3 (faculty most probably)

P3: So, Arvind, tell me about yourself very briefly
Me: Gave standard well-rehearsed answer......mentioned how initially I was in Citi and later our company was acquired by Wipro...
P3: Ok, so the company is the same, only the parent organization is different, right?
Me: That's right, sir
P3: All right, so tell me what are the differences you've found between Citi and Wipro
Me: In any specific aspects, sir?
P3: Everything....ok, I'll mention them one by one.....lets start with work environment..
Me: Blah...
P3: Policies, salary structure...
Me: Blah..
P3: HR
Me: Blah..
P3: Management
Me: Blah..
P3: Training, career scope...
Me: Blah..
P3: If you were to continue working for Wipro for another 5 years, would you continue in your current project or shift?
Me: had already written about this in the Personal Data form, repeated the same...
P3: What's the turnover of your organization?
Me: Told..
P3: Profit?
Me: Told..
Then focus shifted to P1..
P1: What's the GDP of our country?
Me: about $1.2 trillion..
P1: If our currency depreciates....i.e suppose right now from around 45 rs. to the $, it goes to say 49.....will our GDP change?
Me: told about how it depends on balance of trade....exports will bring in more money, but imports will be costlier....blah blah...
P1: No, tell me straight....will the GDP change or not?
Me: Not really sure, sir.
P1: Ok....tell me what's the area of Mumbai? (This guy was just shooting questions like a robot...no transition from one question to the other or anything!)
Me: I can tell you the area of Navi Mumbai, sir, that's where I'm from (wry smile on my face)
P1: (Smiled as well) But they're right next to each other right? You must be coming to Mumbai pretty often I'm sure.....come on, give me an estimated figure.
Me: (thought for a few secs) About 800 sq. km, Sir (later came to know its closer to 600)
P1: How did you arrive at that number?
Me: Told how I took the Western and Eastern Express Highways as reference.....assumed a rectangle for simplicity of calculations.....explained calculations..
P1: (seemed satisfied) Ok, tell me how to design an analog circuit using K-maps.
Me: (knew he asked this to some people before me as well, no one knew, and I had no idea either nor could I quickly find out from anywhere) Sorry, sir, I don't really remember K-maps.
P1: Ok....what is reverse breakdown voltage?
Me: (ah, thank God, an acad question whose answer i knew!) Told..
P1: Applications?
Me: Told..
Now onto P2, who was a mere spectator all this while..
P2: So, Arvind, tell me something about your parents.
Me: Told..
P2: Tell me something about Cuddalore (my father's native place, had mentioned that)
Me: Gave some gyan....mentioned about tsunami, mainly a fishing community
P2: So how many families were affected there by the tsunami?
Me: About 1200...(later came to know that was way too low, it was more like 30000!!)
All three looked at each other.....decided that was all, thanked me, I thanked them and left.

As I walked out the interview room, and began telling the other applicants about my interview, it struck me like a thunderbolt....I could imagine the huge tubelight lighting up above me...."Analog circuit using K-map?? Holy crap, K-maps are used for digital circuits, not analog circuits!!!!" Felt like banging my head against a brick wall....that one answer could've clinched it for me, given that no one else knew the answer! Oh well, I just walked out shaking my head in disbelief at how Murphy's law always seems to play a crucial role in my life..!

Six days of madness - part 1

Day 1 : 23 March, 2010
Call: IIM-Calcutta

This was it. All the weeks of preparation.....scouring the net for any little piece of information I could get my hands on that may help me with my interviews....asking people for any engineering notes they may have lying around....payoff time had arrived. As I stepped out of the cab in front of the Institute of Hotel Management in Dadar, and looked at all the other candidates streaming into the campus in their suits and what not, the enormity of the situation began to engulf me. I walked into the waiting area.....candidates engrossed in reading The Economic Times, others discussing the latest repo rate hikes......wow.....I began to wonder, what am I even doing here?! How did all this happen?!! I soon found myself in a conversation with some of my fellow aspirants......a couple of 100 %ilers, 99.98, 99.95.....intimidating, what? They'd already gotten into GD mode and were discussing the way calls had been meted out randomly by the IIMs...

Onto the actual GD then.....topic: "It's more important to make an impact than to be true to oneself". Typical topic for an MBA aspirant.....on came the monologues about ethics, values, business norms....even Mahatma Gandhi and the Gita found their way in there somewhere. I chipped in with some decent points.....cited the example of the movie Rann....was satisfied with the overall GD and my contribution as well. Then came 20 of the most torturous minutes of my life: the PI.

3 panelists P1, P2, P3....and Me, the unfortunate victim...

P1: So, Arvind, what are you currently doing?
Me: Describe work....maybe got a bit too technical in the process..
P1: Arvind, do u honestly expect us to understand everything u just said??
Me: Sorry sir.....tried to simplify the description...
P2: So what are these logs? (Mentioned our job involves monitoring and review of Unix logs..)
Me: Explained
P1: Have you heard of PL-SQL?
Me: Yes, sir, but don't know much about it
P1: But u just mentioned you work involves databases (I did actually, mistake!)
Me: (Damn you, Ari..watch what u say!) Yes we do work on some databases but at a very superficial level....not proper DBMS as such...
P1: Ok, do you know anything about event-driven programming?
Me: (whaa?!) Sorry sir, not really into the programming side
P2: But would you like to get into programming if you were given the choice of shifting from your current proj?
Me: Depends on the job profile.....would see if it would fit my interests....blah blah...
P2: So then tell me what's the difference between a programmer's role and your role?
Me: Blabbered some gyan...mentioned creativity, higher expectations, deadlines etc.
P2: So you wouldn't mind a programmer's role then?
Me: If the profile is right for me, then no, I wouldn't mind.......but at this moment, that's not the path I wish to follow....I'd like to move towards a management role (pheww...thank God i got that in!)
P2: Hmm ok......so you mentioned something about core values during the GD.....what are your core values?
Me: Told somethin about integrity...
P2: Integrity....that's a powerful word.....care to elaborate?
Me: Gave an example from work which in my opinion demonstrated integrity on my part..
P2: That's not integrity....that's just being helpful to your colleagues...
Me: attempted to justify...
P2: What exactly according to you is integrity??
Me: Told about believing and abiding by a set of values...
P2: But you just said your value is integrity....
Me: (freak, now what) Fumbled....basically went around in circles...P3 points that out....thankfully they decide to move on...
P1: So what other calls have u got?
Me: Told...L,A,K
P1: Ok so between A and C, u'd choose?
Me: (tried diplomatic approach) well i'd love to be faced with that choice....both are extremely good.....i'd probably have to interact with a few more students and alumni before making a decision...
P1: No, you need to make a decision now....which are u going to choose?
Me: (ok, now try the honest, upfront approach) Sir, as it stands, honestly, I'd mostly choose IIMA.....
P1: Why?
Me: Said some stuff about peers, student culture etc.
P1: Well, from what I've heard, somehow the companies seem to give the better packages to IIMC students.....why do u think that happens?
Me: Sir, package is secondary....what's important is the overall learning experience...blah blah..
P1: No I'm just stating a fact.....I just want to know from your side why u think that happens....what are these companies looking for in students?
Me: Blah about domain knowledge, experience etc.
P1: Do they need only academic knowledge or overall skills as well?
Me: Knowledge specific to job profile is important but significant emphasis on all-round skills...
P1: So if these companies recruit the best students....and IIMC has the best packages and placement figures....isn't IIMC the best B-school?
Me: (oh man, trapped!) Again take the "placement is only one aspect....overall experience" route....and again thankfully they changed topic...
P1: Watched the match yesterday?
Me: Yes, sir
P1: So u didn't prepare for this interview then?
Me: I made sure I completed my preparation before the match
P2: Oh, good, you're completely prepared then?
Me: (Sheepishly) To the best of my abilities, sir
P3: How did you prepare anyway?
Me: Mentioned PG, previous experiences, went through my work details, acads etc.
P3: Great, so you're pretty much prepared for everything.....but what if I ask you something you haven't prepared?
Me: (smiled) I'll give it my best shot, Sir
P3: OK.....give this your best shot....what is India's foreign policy towards Uzbekistan?
Me: I'm sorry, sir, not really aware...
P3: Fine.....what about towards Pakistan?
Me: mentioned Indo-Pak relation fundas..
P3: No, no, you're just talking about the political aspect of it.....i want foreign policy...
Me: (wtf?!!) tried to connect the two....
P3: Foreign policy is something different.....do u know what exactly our foreign policy for Pakistan is?
Me: (no use beating around the bush again) Afraid not, sir...

That was it......they thanked me, I thanked them....I walked out in a daze. I was quite like a deer caught in the headlights there.....couldn't have asked for a worse start to the round of interviews. The panelists set a trap out, and I nicely obliged them by falling right into it. Lesson learnt: watch what you say!! IIMK coming up next....and I know things can only get better from here on in...