Group Discussion

1. Always be the initiator and concluder of the GD than being a participant. 2. But if you are participant always try to be the most vial/key participant. 3. put points firmly and always try to get others support too. 4. If you find that the discussion is going off track then never loose an opportunity to bring it back to stream this is the best point to score max. 5. Try to keep latest information on the topic. 6. be very polite, people may try to provoke you to get more points but try to keep cool. 7. Most important don't wait for your turn to speak when discussion is on. Interrupt politely if you want to put forward your points. 8. Last but not the least keep a tab on the time given for discussion. Score points by wrapping up the discussion if you feel that the discussion is heating but the time is going to be over. 9. During conclusion, do end with the conclusion note. That shows your leadership quality. Best scoring points are: 1. Initiation of discussion, 2. Always keeping/trying to keep discussion on track 3. Conclusion on time. 4. Your capability to keep your cool and listen as well as putting your points. GD basically means searching your team player, leadership, communication capability.

Related Articles 1. Al-Queda may target US and UK related BPO installations in India (India Daily): Al-Queda and Pakistan sponsored islamic jihadists gain by attacking India's BPO istallations and work centers in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Government of India and Indian intelligence is especially aware of the threats. US interests in India are also vulnerable. 2. India Collecting Worker Histories To Beef Up Outsourcing Security: The Indian outsourcing industry is starting to compile work histories of all its employees, in an effort to combat fraud. 3. Intel's Indian plans for subsidiary (The Times of India): Intel Corporation is acquiring shares from an NRI to convert its Indian subsidiary Intel Technology India. 4. Intel inititaes second phase of outsourcing expansion in India (India Daily): Intel Corporation starts the next phase of Indian outsourcing expansion. The world's largest chip maker Intel Corporation has rolled out the second phase of its India Development Centre and said the first product designed exclusively for the domestic market would be launched by the year end. 5. Infosys sees more outsourcing deals from Europe (India Daily): Infosys Technologies said on Tuesday that more European banks were likely to follow ABN Amro and negotiate offshore outsourcing deals with Indian technology-services companies. 6. Indian Outsourcing Firms Outpace Western Rivals; Wipro Latest To Report Double-Digit Sales Growth: India's Wipro Technologies said revenues for its second quarter grew 26% to $568 million, joining fellow Indian firms TCS and Infosys, which reported dougle-digit gains last week. 7. Offshoring Makes Gains: It appears that more U.S. and Western European businesses are taking advantage of low-cost outsourcing to India, and Indian tech vendors are reaping the benefits. 8. Offshoring Makes Gains: It appears that more U.S. and Western European businesses are taking advantage of low-cost outsourcing to India, and Indian tech vendors are reaping the benefits. 9. Qualcore To Expand Indian Subsidiary: QualCore Logic Inc.'s design center in India plans to add embedded software and driver development services to the organization. The Indian unit also said that it plans to increase staffing from 200 to 300 employees during the coming year. 10. Indian president warns against Google Earth (ZDNet India): Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has joined the list of government officials charging that the geographic details provided by Google Earth's satellite imaging program pose a security risk. Related Questions

1. 1. Is Indian cricket team consistent?2. Is IT necessary in rural areas?3. Should Saurav Ganguly be I. . . 2. My GD Experience 3. May 22nd 2005 - Infosys Interview Hyderabad - Naveen 4. Intergraph Analytical Test Questions 5. How many students are there in the class?I. 30 students play football and 40 play cricket. II. Each s. . . 6. In a county , the basketball tournament was succeeded by Doubly eliminating process. If one team los. . . 7. Which of the following options is related to cricket, tennis, and football A. carom B. chess C. vol. . . 8. REALLY VERY GOOD INFOSYS INTERVIEW SESSION WITH GOOD OPTIONAL ANSWER 9. Accenture Placement Question Paper 10. Infosys Test, 6 Nov, Hyderabad.

Tips on interviews and Group Discussions

GET A MOCK GD HERE

Many 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 behaviour, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects. 1. In a group discussion what should my objectives be and how should I achieve them? 2. Is it wise to take a strong stand either in favor or against the topic right at the start of a Group Discussion ? 3. Is it a good strategy to try and be the first speaker on the topic in a GD? 4. In an interview how does one handle the question "Tell us about yourself?". 5. Is it better to have a longer selection interview or a shorter one? 6. In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA programme? In a group discussion what should my objectives be and how should I achieve them? In order to succeed at any unstructured group discussion, you must define what your objective in the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be seen to have contributed meaningfully in an attempt to achieve the right consensus.

The key words in this definition are 'seen', 'meaningfully', and 'attempt'. Let us understand what each of these imply in terms of action points : The first implication is that merely making a meaningful contribution in an attempt to achieve consensus is not

enough. You have to be seen by the evaluator to have made a meaningful contribution in n attempt to build the right consensus. In other words you must ensure that you are heard by the group. If the group hears you so will the evaluator. You must get at least some airtime. If you are not a very assertive person you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. If you get cowed down easily in an aggressive group, you can say goodbye to the business school admission. Many GD participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact of the matter is that in no GD do you get a chance to speak. You have to make your chances. The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that you have a good knowledge base, are able to structure arguments logically and are a good communicator. These are qualities that are desired by all evaluators. Many GD participants feel that the way to succeed in a GD is by speaking frequently, for a long time and loudly. This is not true. The quality of what you say is more important than the quantity. Don't be demoralized if you feel you have not spoken enough. If you have spoken sense and have been heard, even if only for a short time, it is usually good enough. You must have substance in your arguments. Therefore, think things through carefully. Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can. It pays to think laterally. Everybody else will state the obvious. Can you state something different? Can you take the group ahead if it is stuck at one point? Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant direction? You may like to dissect the topic and go into the underlying causes or into the results. One way of deciding what sort of contribution is meaningful at what point of time is to follow two simple rules. First, in times of chaos a person who restores order to the group is appreciated. Your level of participation in a fish market kind of scenario can be low, but your degree of influence must never be low. In other words you must make positive contributions every time you speak and not speak for the sake of speaking. The second rule is applicable when the group is floundering. In this situation a person who provides a fresh direction to the group is given credit. The third implication is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus. Nobody expects a group of ten people, all with different points of view on a controversial subject to actually achieve a consensus. But did you make the attempt to build a consensus?

The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group. You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team. What are the ways that you can try to build consensus? First, you must not just talk, you should also listen. You must realize that other people also may have valid points to make. You should not only try to persuade other people to your point of view, but also come across as a person who has an open mind and appreciates the valid points of others. You must try and resolve contradictions and arguments of others in the group. You must synthesize arguments and try and achieve a unified position in the group. Try to think of the various arguments of yours and others' as parts of a jigsaw puzzle or as building blocks of a larger argument for or against the topic. Try and lay down the boundaries or the area of the discussion at the beginning. Discuss what the group should discuss before actually beginning your discussion. This will at least ensure that everyone is talking about the same thing. Try and summarize the discussion at the end. In the summary do not merely restate your point of view; also accommodate dissenting viewpoints. If the group did not reach a consensus, say so in your summary.

You must carry people with you. So do not get emotional, shout, invade other people's private space. Do not bang your fist on the table except in extreme circumstances. If you have spoken and you notice that someone else has tried to enter the discussion on a number of occasions and has not had the chance to do so maybe you could give him a chance the next time he tries. But do not offer a chance to anyone who is not trying to speak. He may not have anything to say at that point and you will just end up looking foolish. The surest way of antagonizing others in the GD as well as the examiner is to appoint yourself as a de facto chairperson of the group. Do not try to impose a system whereby everyone gets a chance to speak in turn. A GD is meant to be a free flowing discussion. Let it proceed naturally. Do not ever try to take a vote on the topic. A vote is no substitute for discussion. Do not address only one or two persons when speaking. Maintain eye contact with as many members of the group as possible. This will involve others in what you are saying

and increase your chances of carrying them with you. Do this even if you are answering a specific point raised by one person. One last point. You must not agree with another participant in the group merely for the sake of achieving consensus. If you disagree, say so. You are not there to attempt to build just any consensus. You have to attempt to build the right consensus. Is it wise to take a strong stand either in favor or against the topic right at the start of a Group Discussion? In theory yes. If you believe something why shouldn't you say so? If we are convinced about something our natural response is to say so emphatically. However in practice what is likely to happen if you take a very strong and dogged stance right at the beginning of the interview is that you will antagonize the people in the group who disagree with you and will be unable to carry them with you and convince them of the validity of your argument. We therefore recommend that after you hear the topic you think about it for a minute with an open mind and note down the major issues that come to your mind. Don't jump to any conclusions. Instead arrive at a stand in your own mind after examining all the issues in a balanced manner. Only then begin to speak. And when you do so outline the major issues first and only then state your stand. In other words give the justification first and the stand later. If you were to state your stand first chances are that the others in the group who disagree with your stand will interrupt to contradict you before you can elaborate on the reasons why you have taken that stance. In this situation the evaluator will only get an impression of what you think and not how you think. Remember you are being evaluated on how you think and not what you think.

Is it a good strategy to try and be the first speaker on the topic in a GD? In most GD's the opening speaker is the person who is likely to get the maximum uninterrupted airtime. The reason is simple - at the start most other participants in the GD are still trying to understand the basic issues in the topic, or are too nervous to speak and are waiting for someone else to start. Therefore the evaluators get the best chance to observe the opening speaker. Now this is a double edged sword. If the opening speaker talks sense naturally he will get credit because he opened and took the group in the right direction. If on the other hand the first speaker doesn't have too much sense to say, he will attract the undivided attention of the evaluators to his shortcomings. He will be marked as a person who speaks without thinking merely for the sake of speaking. As someone who leads the group in the wrong direction and does not make a positive contribution to the group. So remember speaking first is a high risk high return strategy. It can make or mar your GD performance depending how you handle it. Speak first only if you have something sensible to say. Otherwise keep shut and let someone else start.

In an interview how does one handle the question "Tell us about you?" An often asked opening question. Perhaps the most frequently asked question across interviews. Your opening statement needs to be a summary of your goals, overall professional capabilities, achievements, background (educational and family), strengths, professional objectives and anything about your personality that is relevant and interesting. This question represents an opportunity to lead the interviewer in the direction you want him to go e.g., your specialty or whatever else you may wish to highlight. Your intention should be to try to subtly convince the interviewers that you are a good candidate, you have proved that in the past, and have a personality that fits the requirement. Remember that the first impression you create will go a long way in the ultimate selection. Keep in mind, most candidates who are asked this question just blurt out their schooling, college, marks and qualifications. All this is already there in the CV. Why tell the interviewer something he already knows? A final word on approaching this question. Once you have said what you have to say shut up. Don't drone on for the sake of speaking for you just might say something foolish. Sometimes interviewers don't interrupt in order to give the candidate the impression that he has not spoken enough. This is just a stress inducing tactic. Don't fall for it, if you feel you have spoken enough. In case the pause gets too awkward for you just add something like,

"Is there something specific that you wish to know about me?" Is it better to have a longer selection interview or a shorter one? The length of an interview in no way is an indicator of how well an interview went. This is especially so when there are a number of candidates to be interviewed for example in the civil services interview or the MBA entrance interview. In the past a number of candidates have reported varying lengths of interviews. Nothing positive or negative should be read into this. An interview is only a device whereby the panel seeks information about the candidate. Information that will help the panel decide whether or not the candidate should be selected. If the panel feels that it has gathered enough information about the candidate in 15 minutes of the interview commencing and that it has no further questions to ask the interview will be terminated in 15 minutes. If on the other hand the panel takes an hour to gather the information required to take a decision the interview will last for an hour. In either case the decision could be positive or negative. It is a fallacy to believe that interview panels take longer interviews of candidates whom they are more interested in.

No panel likes to waste its time. If an interview is lasting longer than usual then it only means that the panel is seeking more information about the candidate in order to take a decision. In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA programme? When you are asked this for God's sake don't tell the panel that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and glamour". That is the first answer that most candidates think of. Unfortunately it is the last answer that will get you admission. In the answer to a direct question on this subject you must convey to the interview panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career choice and your intended course of higher study. There are broadly six areas which your answer could touch upon :

Career Objectives : You could talk about your career objectives and how the two year MBA programme will help you achieve them. This implies that you have a clear idea of what your career objectives are and how you wish to achieve them. For example you may want to be an entrepreneur and wish to set up your independent enterprise after doing your MBA and then working for a few years in a professionally managed company. You could explain to the panel that the MBA programme will provide you with the necessary inputs to help you run your business enterprise better. But then you must be clear about what the inputs you will receive in the MBA programme are. Value Addition : That brings us to the second area that your answer should touch upon. What is the value you will add to yourself during your two year study of management. Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills. Knowledge of the various areas of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and communication. You will find it useful to talk to a few people who are either doing their MBA or have already done it. They will be able to give you a more detailed idea of what they gained from their MBA. Background : Remember, there must be no inconsistency between your proposed study of management and your past subject of study or your past work experience. If you have studied commerce in college then management is a natural course of higher studies. If you are an engineer this is a tricky area. You must never say that by pursuing a career in management you will be wasting your engineering degree. Try and say that the MBA course and your engineering degree will help you do your job better in the company that you will join. But then you should be able to justify how your engineering qualification will help. Opportunities and Rewards : You could also at this stage mention the opportunities that are opening up in organizations for management graduates. Highlight with examples. At the end you may mention that while monetary rewards are not everything they are also important and MBAs do get paid well. You must not mention these reasons

as your primary motivators even if that may be the case.

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A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain issues. Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking. Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint. One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident. Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy. You should maintain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a particular person for he may benefit from that. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint. Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint. Always maintain your calm and never get aggressive. If you haven't been able to talk then one can cut in saying "Excuse me, but what I think is .........." or something of that sort. Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front. Your attitude should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict. Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion. Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.

SOME GD TOPICS 1.Is Indian cricket team consistent? 2. Is IT necessary in rural areas? 3. Should Saurav Ganguly be Indian Captain? 4. Advantages and disadvantages of Outsourcing; 5. Are the Cricket matches between India and Pakistan passionate? 1. Indian cultural values have nothing to fear from globalization 2. The impact of economic reforms has been that rich people have become richer rich and poor people poorer. 3. Management education is only for the rich. 4. Reservation in parliament for women. 5. The US dollar is no longer a stable currency. 6. The impact of Internet on India. 7. Behind every man there is a woman. 8. Politicians are not interested in the future of our country. 9. Wisdom does not come with age. 10. Corruption is the main outcome of democracy. 11. Is the consumer really the King in India? 12. Globalization verses Nationalism. 13. Conditional access system for cable TV watchers: boon or bane? 14. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance for protecting if not encouraging corruption. 15. Commercialization of health care: good or bad? 16. Should agricultural subsidies be stopped? 17. Do we lag behind China? Che tanaS 18. Who says MNCs are superior to Indian companies? 19. Food comes first, ethics later! 20. To survive in the civilized world one needs to be a hypocrite. 21. Money is the sixth sense without which one can't enjoy the other five. 22. English language as a mode of instruction in primary level. 23. Men and Women are different. 24. Given the present state of affairs, India will remain a developing country forever. 25. IIM's and IIT's encourage only brain drain. 26. Whether reservation to women is beneficial? 27. There is no alternative to Pokhran nuclear test in present scenario. 28. Modern cinema is a boon to Indian society. 29. Should youth indulge in politics? 30. US war on Iraq-justified or not. 31. Role of UN in peacekeeping. 32. Position of Women in India compared to other nations. 33. Environment Management.

34. Is China better than India in software? 35. Should SONIA Gandhi be made the PM 36. BPOs in INDIA 37. Govt contribution to IT 38. Will punch lines rule the Advertisements? 39. premarital sex 40. India or west , which is the land of opportunities 41. water resources should be nationalized 42. "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY" 43. Is it necessary to ban COCOCOLA in India? 44. About Hockey being the primary game in India. 45. Cricket should be banned or not. 46. Present state of Indian Cricket team. 47. Love marriage/Arranged marriage. 48. Advantages of Co-education. 49. How to deal with international terrorism. 50. Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts? 51. A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped countries like India. 52. What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population? 53. Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy. 54. Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture. 55. What India needs is a Dictatorship. 56. With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the hour. 57. Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and personality. 58. Beauty contests degrade womanhood 59. The rise of regional blocs threatens independent nations like India 60. Six billion and one bronze! 61. Is dependence on computers a good thing? 62. Should the public sector be privatized? 63. Is India a Soft Nation? 64. Value based politics is the need of the hour 65. Religion should not be mixed with politics 66. How to deal with high oil prices 67. Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing 68. Why can't we be world players in industry as we are in software? 69. Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise? 70. Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire). 71. Should there be private universities? 72. Do banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture? 73. Are Big Dams Necessary? Che tanaS 74. A Gandhian State selling liquor is an anomaly 75. Bride burning and dowry may look bad, but are an integral part of India. 76. The education system needs serious reforms 77. The impact of MTV on our psyche 78. Showing Violence and Crimes should not be allowed in films and on television.

79. Let us legalize gambling 80. The objective of Management is to maximize profits 81. Do professional managers have a chance in our family run businesses? 82. The Internet is an exercise in hype 83. Smaller businesses and start-ups have more scope for professional growth. 84. Dot com or doubt com? 85. The Wheel is Turning Round and Round 86. There is no right way to do a wrong thing 87. Group Task: How can we have Mount Everest in India? 88. Do Beauty and Brains Go Together? 89. Marriage is a social trap 90. Secularism has become a tool to justify the wrongs done by the minorities. 91. Media is a mixed blessing/How ethical is media? 92. To fight Aids, stop being coy about sex education. 93. What should India strive for- Westernization or modernization? 94. Developing countries need trade, not aid. 95. Flexibility of labor laws is the key to attracting more Foreign Direct Investment. 96. Voters, not, political parties are responsible for the criminalization of politics. 97. 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. 98. India should go for the presidential form of democracy. 99. In our economic matters, there is an excessive tendency towards the thinking rather than doing 100. Government should clean its own hands before pointing finger at the private sector for corruption. 101. Is the NPA ordinance too harsh? 102. Reforms have to grow up. 103. Is the consumer really the king in India?. 104. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance for protecting, if not encouraging, corruption? 105. Commercialization of health care: Good or Bad? 106. Is the US economy headed the Japanese economy way? 107. Economic freedom not old fashioned theories of development will lead to growth and prosperity. 108. Markets left to themselves encourage greed. 109. For globalization to succeed in India people must be able to see what is in it for them. 110. Should businessmen run the finance ministry 111. Should important services like transport be left to market forces? 112. Is there any point in having a business strategy when the world changes from month to month? 113. Is the patents bill good for India?. 114. Globalization is good for developing countries 115. Public sector being a guarantor of job security is a myth 116. Is industry less growth here to stay? 117. Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others are so much worse?

118. How can business get rid of the bad name that it has earned? 119. Government pumping money into the economy is not the solution for our economic problems 120. Business ethics are no longer a luxury for corporates but a necessity? 121. How should privatization proceeds be utilized? 122. Will Mumbai's film industry ever evolve into a truly modern corporatised one? 123. Why not use a brand index to measure national prosperity?. 124. What we need to reduce scams is better regulatory bodies. 125. War rhetoric is misplaced in a country like India which is trying to globalize its economy. 126. Trade can help the poor ? 127. Steal a few lakhs and you're a criminal. Steal a few hundred crores and you become an industrialist. 128. Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never match those learnt from experience 129. Democracy is hampering India progress http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com 130. Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state 131. Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour 132. Joint family is a blessing in disguise. 133. Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it. 134. The weaker sex is the weakness of the stronger sex. 135. Women cannot successfully combine both career and home. 136. Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense. 137. Money is required to earn more money. 138. Classical Music Heritage And The Growing Pop-Culture 139. Nice Guys Finish Last 140. All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy 141. Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy? 142. Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan? 143. Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent 144. East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is': Mark Twain 145. India Needs Gujral Doctrine For Better International Relations 146. Doctors' Accountability To Improve Health-Care 147. Universal Disarmament Is A Must 148. Indian Cricket Team Shouldn't Be Allowed To Play Abroad 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Is coalition politics here to stay? Does India need a dictator? 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

9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

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 neccessary? The relevance of Gandhism today India and the WTO Did India handle the hijack issue properly? Is E-Commerce the best thing for India

Is coalition politics here to stay? The following points could be discussed under this topic: Nature of coalition politics.Indecisiveness of elections. No particular party is getting the peoples mandate.Advantage of coalition politics in enabling formation of government. Flipside of coalition politics- a party with a handful of seats become powerful.Government falls before tenure. Fresh elections each time. Suggest a way out of this problem, for e.g.: once a party pledges support to a coalition, it will not withdraw its support until it has watched a governments performance for atleast three years...etc The future -will it only have coalitions, emerging political trends...etc... Does India need a dictator? The following points could be discussed under this topic: The current political structure.Drawbacks of it.Bureaucracy, layers in decision making, anarchy. Dictatorship would mean centralised power and faster decision making.But, country run on whims and fancies of an individual.Freedom on individuals could be clamped ..etc.. Present a balanced argument for and against and take up your position on the issue. C h e t a n a S Is India moving away from a secularist state? The following points could be discussed under this topic: Define secularism. Constitution calls our country such a state, but how things have changed over the last 50 years. Spread of nationalism. Division into majority and minority groups-e.g. benefits given to minority groups perceived as a threat by others. Role of non-tolerant neighbors in fuelling fundamentalism. It is a passing phenomenon. We have the national character to overcome this.. Points along these lines can be discussed. Education in India-or the lack of it. The following points could be discussed under this topic: Discuss current education system. Discuss our sociological structure.Poverty which forces kids to drop out to supplement family income.Vicious circle-poverty due to lack of education and vice versa.Suggest solutions to get out of this-for e.g., governments are doing a commendable job with the midday meal schemes but we need more of such efforts. Going down further, why restrict it to government alone? why cant private people, NGOs and other voluntary bodies come forward to do the same? How about tapping corporate funds for such causes .....etc. What ails Indian sports?

The following points could be discussed under this topic: A nation of 950 million, we fail to produce great champions barring the occasional Vishwanathan Anand or Geet Sethi. Sports system steeped in bureaucracy. Overriding popularity of cricket leading to neglect in other sports.Traditionally, sports not accorded much importance by us as a career. Need to develop sports from the primary school level"catch em young". Various incentives to be given to budding sportsmen like academic credits, sports in lieu of a few other subjects etc. Development of sports infrastructure, making it amenable and affordable...etc..... The Age of Information. The following points could be discussed under this topic: Today a plethora of sources to provide information-Newspapers, radio, Television, Internet etc. Information available at the touch of a button. Greater decision making power to the individual. Also easier decision making for the individual. Information is the key to ones success today. One who is more informed forges ahead. The flipsideinformation overkill. At times deciding is tough due to too much information ...etc..... Is Philosophy just arm chair theory? (This is an example of an abstract topic which is thrown up to students once in a while by the examiners) The following points could be discussed under this topic: Talk what you know about this topic . Talk of its relevance in day to day life( or irrelevance if you feel so..). Talk of its influence in literature e.g. Influence of Kant on the romantic poets especially Wordsworth or of Bacon, Voltaire et al on the "Enlightenment" period etc. Talk of its influence in politics e.g. Influence of Nietszche on Hitler and subsequent genocide during Nazi regime etc. Talk of ethics and morals and their importance in life. talk of Indian philosophy. the Gita. Discuss whether we use any of these in our lives and their importance in moulding our values...etc... Success is all about human relations The following points could be discussed under this topic: The most important skill for success in to have people on your side. One can get a lot of work done by superiority and hierarchy but one cannot be a leader of men unless one maintains excellent human relations.Its importance not only in professional life but personal life too.Knowledge and expertise does one no good if one cannot maintain proper human relations...etc. Borderless worlds-Dream or reality?

The following points could be discussed under this topic: Globalisation of business.Opening up of the various economies. Cross cultural exchanges. More and more people getting an opportunity to work in different lands among different peoples and absorbing a bit of their values and culture.This leads to greater tolerance and understanding of others' problems. The other side-people despite all this have nationalistic and regionalist chauvinism. A world divided into first, second and third worlds. People still talk of "their" economy and not world economy. Europe has shown a step in this direction with EU but its feasibility remains to be seen.So while people clamour for globalisation, they still think only in terms of their national interests...etc... Quality is a myth in India. The following points could be discussed under this topic: The Indian products and manufacturing techniques. Why are we unable to sustain against global competition.Our mindset towards quality. Indian attitude of "chalta hai" which leads to an undemanding customer which in turn lets people get away with substandard products and services. Today competition is forcing our industry to adhere to global standards so we are getting there in terms of quality. Examples of our software industry which is recognised for its ability to meet global standards etc. Since the topic is general, we can extrapolate it to our quality of life-the air , the water , the facilities we have, the infrastructure we have, the services we get and put up with ....etc...... Education and success-Is there a correlation? The following points could be discussed under this topic: This is a topic which provides ample scope for dialectics. One can argue for and against it. One of the best examples is Bill Gates who went on to become the richest man in the world despite dropping out of hid education. Closer home we have the example of Dhirubhai Ambani. What a person learns and what he really wants to do has no correlation many a times. A person succeeds only if he likes what he does.The argument for education will be that, in practice, it is your marks and qualifications that opens doors for you. While one can become successful without education, education brings about a richness in one's life. One is able to appreciate many facets of life due to the extended knowledge that education provides. It opens a new window and provides a different perspective towards things, ability to distinguish between ethical and unethical, moral and amoral ....etc. http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com We don't learn from history, we repeat it The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Relevance of history. Reminder of our past telling us what to do and what not to do. Still we have numerous examples which have occurred again and again for e.g. Time and again we have had innumerable wars and bloodshed, Hitler made the same mistake as Napoleon and Napoleon in turn the same ones as Alexander and all the three wanted to rule the world, countries making similar mistakes in world war II as they did during world war I ....etc.... But despite this there are also many examples which have not been repeated ( or rather not brought out to the fore as they were not repeated). This could mean we have indeed learnt from history and avoided those mistakes. In fact that has been the purpose of teaching history so as not to repeat them. Today fear of war is directly due to the record history places before us...etc.... Indian villages-our strength or our weakness? The following points could be discussed under this topic: A typical Indian villages and its myriad problems. Lack of basic amenities and infrastructure. their contribution to the economy both in goods and services vis-a-vis their urban counterparts. they could be an even bigger drivers of our economy if they are made self reliant by improving infrastructure and reducing the general disparities between cities and villages ...etc...etc Agrarian Economy in India-boon or bane The following points could be discussed under this topic: Speaking for the topic one can argue the following- time and again it has made us self reliant in food. This increases our bargaining power tremendously in the world economy. Internally also food prices can be kept low and this will have a direct bearing on inflation. This would bolster the economy and provide us freedom from world bodies and other nations. Against the topic-agrarian economy is at the mercy of climatic conditions. A bad summer, monsoon, or winter could bring the nation down. It will have a spiral effect as increased prices will lead to inflation and problems associated with it. World bodies and other nations will dictate terms..etc.... If there were no armies in the world...... The following points could be discussed under this topic: Wishful thinking indeed! It would be the key element for world peace. There will be no instrument to wage a war. It will also remove fear and distrust among various nations. We wont have a defence budget. This means more funds channelised into other productive areas. Reduced terrorism and very little separatist groups

But the disadvantage could be imposition by one group, anarchy, laissez faire politics, lawlessness..etc.. Do we need a global policeman? The role of some countries in "disciplining" others. Assuming on itself to decide what is right and what is wrong for the whole world. Bullying others into submission by its sheer economic power. Overriding the brief of world bodies in world politics C he ta naS Suggest alternatives like more authority to world bodies like UN etc which is more representative of everyone's interests. More assertiveness to be shown by other nations to such policing nations . making more nations self reliant so that we have less of "Big Brother" Syndrome....etc..... Indian customs-are we in a time warp? The following points could be discussed under this topic: Some undesirable practices over a long time. Dowry- prevalent even among the educated class, Sati- recent example of a lady in North India, Child marriages- still prevalent in backward areas etc. Reason on why do we still follow such customs. Traditional subjugation of women-present even in big cities among upper class society. Allied problems due to such customs- intolerance, fundamentalism, exploitation, etc http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com Suggest ways out of this like education the masses, indicating the outmodedness and irrelevance of such practices today...etc... "How green was my valley........".Are we paying the price of nature? The following points could be discussed under this topic: As every one tries to be one up on the other in the race for industrialisation, deforestation is taking place on a large scale. This effect is more pronounced in developing countries. It has made a perceptible difference in the last 50 years with rising temperatures. Global warming. Greenhouse effect. Ozone layer depletion. El Nino type effects. Similarly it has affected other living beings-both plant and animals driving many of them to extinction..etc... But people have realised it now. A lot of NGOs and voluntary bodies are working on it. Infact there is even a Greens party in Germany which has been winning elections using the environmental plank...etc.... Management Education-Is it necessary to succeed in business The following points could be discussed under this topic:

This is again a topic where we can have for and against arguments. There are many examples of great visionaries and leaders in business who have succeeded without any formal management education. People have simply done it by their will, passion and desire. But management education has also produced many bigwigs. A management education gives a perspective towards analysis and problem solving.It enables one to take decisions in a scientific manner, it enables you to handle the stress and strains of a demanding job...etc... The role of NGOs in economics and politics The following points could be discussed under this topic: NGOs have become very powerful today. They have a major role to play in politics as they swerve peoples opinion. They enjoy a lot of support and goodwill of the people. They can also make or break a business. They protect the interests of the people and represent a collective voice against anything that goes against their interests. Most of the times NGOs are more capable in securing a fair deal for the general good. Also the NGOs have shown that they are in a better position to handle social issues than most governments ...etc...