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..!