Will trade forks for sanity (a little?)

B-school is a funny place. And the students who get selected into the top ones are, without an iota of doubt, a weird lot. So, when we at IIMB got to know that IIMC students were being tutored in 'table manners', there were some of us who madly giggled, and then some of us wanted a similar course to be floated in IIMB as well. Thankfully, that never happened.

During my summer internship, I would have lunch with all the other interns from various B-schools. And I noticed with interest that, while the rest of us ate like barbarians with our hands (licking fingers, gravy dripping from our chins, food spilled all over the table), the guy from IIMC would neatly fold his rotis into small cones, take some sabzi in a spoon, fill the cone with the sabzi, and gracefully eat it like a true Banker. That was when I started having doubts about my career in banking. That was also when I realized how too much education can kill all the fun in your life.

But then, if you have been following my blog (get the hint!), you would know that I am not exactly on God's favorite list. So, yeah, it had to all come back to me eventually. So, I was having lunch with my lady boss, and we ordered pizza. Pizza came. I was hungry. I took a slice. Picked it up. Took a bite. My teeth wouldn't cut through the cheese layer. I use my hand to tear the cheese away. So, am kind of trying to tear a bite.. struggling with both my hands.. but enjoying my meal. My eyes dart towards my boss. She had used a knife and a fork to neatly cut a small piece from her slice of the pizza, and was looking at me in horror. I give sheepish grin and pretend that I am not hungry anymore. And hope that the earth would just swallow me up. Imagine! I mean, come on, who uses a knife and a fork to eat a pizza!

I have seen worse.

I have seen people eat dosa with a fork, garlic bread similarly, and a sandwich like it was a small baby being operated upon. A normal person would get into depression, I am telling you, and would seriously start doubting his own existence. But I am stubborn as hell. And I don't even know how to use chopsticks. Die.

So, when a colleague recently chided me on picking the wrong plate for dessert, in another colleague's wedding, I gave him a dirty why-the-fuck-do-you-care look. And later smiled to myself.

Life @ IIMB - The Final Chapter

For the past two years I had waited for this day. But when it came… it felt like it came too early.

After all, I had just started enjoying my vacation at IIMB.

Hours after hours of doing nothing.. playing World of Warcraft in the Computer Centre Lab night after night, taking a walk to Athica’s with friends at 2’o clock in the night for a cup of coffee, sitting in the OAT at 4 AM in the morning bitching about people, getting drunk on L^2 parties (and hitting on a girl?), watching a night show in a theatre and on our way back doing a little jig in the rain… the second year of my stay at IIMB was as chilled out as the first year had been rigorous, perhaps more … not because it was designed that way by the Insti… but because I had decided, after a lot of deliberation, that I want to enjoy this one year of my life to the fullest.

And enjoy I did. From travelling to Malaysia on a fraud project in a fraud course, to vacationing in Goa, to not mugging for FSA mid-term because I had to finish reading that newly released Harry Potter book (and thus, somewhat foolishly, showing the middle finger to grades), to organizing Karaoke parties in the night to the annoyance of the entire Girls’ Block, to spamming away to glory on all the BRacket folders in the name of ATF… second year at IIMB was fun. But always, somehow… there was an eagerness to run away from the place which had so few happy memories for me… I had always waited for the day when I will finally go far far far away from this hell-hole…

Now I realize how wrong I was… At times, we do not realize what is it that we actually want… maybe I didn’t realize too.

Second year was as different from the first year as it possibly could have been. Maybe because we knew by then that in this race for surging ahead of each other, in this game of marks and money… we are falling behind in this journey called life… we knew by then how to bend rules of the Insti, how to study just before exams and manage the passing grade, how to keep safe distance from the RG-loving, marks-hungry junta… how to ignore people who really don’t matter and … how to live your life your way.

Second year also shattered some myths for me… most important was the realization that my expectations have been misplaced all along… it is not necessary for friends to be like-minded, to crave for the same thing, to follow the same road. I made friends who couldn’t have been more different from me, they still are and will always be… and they formed part of every bit of fun that I had at the place. Had it not been for them, I don’t know if I would have survived IIMB at all. We have fought, we have shared, we have celebrated, we have cried together… have shown each other different facets of the world, have been each others’ conscience, have prayed for each other…

And all that was over…

I remember the day I left campus…

Mummy and Papa were waiting in the cab.. all my luggage had been loaded. I locked the room and rushed to the Hostel Office to deposit the keys… the corridors were deserted. Most students had already left campus. And those who remained would do so in a couple of hours. The first years were busy writing an exam…

It was in that moment that the feeling sank. So, this is it? IIMB is over?

I tried hard to contain tears.. not in front of Mummy and Papa!.... A couple of friends were standing near the cab to see me off… I felt strange. I didn’t know what to say. It was like I am leaving a part of me behind. I looked at the campus one last time… took in everything. There are thousands of things I can complain about and I have been doing that in all earnest. But I know one thing for sure - these were the two best years of my life.

Life@IIMB Part-V

A five-day farce!

Things are getting scarier. There was light at the end of the tunnel, or so I thought. Now there is this nagging feeling that it was only a mirage.

You know that creepy feeling that something somewhere is terribly wrong and you ought to know about it, fix it if possible… as it concerns you and the ones you care for… but you don’t know what to do and where to look…

Final Placements of seniors are on now while I write this blog… was there most of the time… and was witness to the drama that is being played out in the MDC lawns… The newspapers will be agog for news of splendid placements and would carry articles that would eulogize the institutes and the MBA program in general. And all the budding MBA-aspirants beyond the walls that surround us here would embark on a journey… a journey fuelled by fragile dreams and delicate aspirations… a vicious trajectory would start all over again.

The placement process at the MBA institutes is a painful one. One would marvel at the way the entire mela is organized and at the sheer scale of it. One would also marvel at how only a few gain out of the process and most are left stranded trying to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong. Having been through a similar process during my summer placements, I thought I would be able to help them out, understand what they are going through. But, I realized that I am still not strong enough… that the vagaries of the process were more than I could take. Looking at people in pain is not easy… and not if a similar pain resides somewhere in your heart too.

One thing which strikes you immediately at the end of the first day of the placement process is that none of the people who are still waiting to get placed deserve to be put through this agonizing process. They are some of the finest brains in India and they don’t need any certificate to prove that they are good. And if nothing else, just the fact that they have the strength to be through all of this is good enough evidence of their capabilities, for me at least. It is not easy to hide from the world the excruciating agony that burns inside. But they don’t need anyone’s sympathy because, if anything, that will only break them down… it is indifference that makes them stronger, helps them to go through it.

Almost like a spider that carefully builds a cob-web for its unsuspecting prey, the MBA institutes ride on the glory of the Day Zero placements. That ensures many things – glamour and exclusivity being two of them. There is no denying that there is no dearth of opportunities for a graduate from a reputed B-School, even for a Day One or a Day Two candidate, and in the end, it all boils down to the abilities that you have. But what is surprising is the way the downsides of the process are played down… and what is highlighted in media is only what would add fuel to the fire.

While a sweeping sense of deja-vu engulfed me the entire time that I was there, I could almost see a similar thing happening to me one year down the line and I kind of feel I don’t give a damn. It is good that I have accepted it now. But does that mean that it wouldn’t hurt when that happened, or that I would stop aiming for the best? Probably not… but then that’s life. Isn’t it?

Life@IIMB Part-IV

A year older, a thousand years younger…

Okie… after much pestering from someone special, here is the blog about my Birthday@IIMB.

Hmmm.. I have always been somewhat indulgent when it comes to assessing the capabilities of my grey cells (I still do).. and it was such a stupid confidence which made me believe that I can do something really bold and brainy… and that was to escape the ceremonial hooshing on my birthday.

I admit I was scared… after witnessing the merciless way in which others were hooshed on their birthdays. And by some stroke of (bad?) luck, I realized that birthdays can indeed be deleted from the server and I did that, congratulating myself on a job well done. No birthday… no hooshes!!

Ahem, ahem, word did leak out and I got hooshed all right, albeit two days after my birthday… and somewhat more than required.. (Junta being angry at me for what I did) :(… And, as it became known to me that they wouldn’t really have hooshed me had I been good and honest, I felt really stupid and like an idiot.

So, I had to nurse my bottom for the whole of the following week and had to curse my stars for having given me that brilliant idea. But, luckily I was spared the customary pole dance (perhaps, because of my seedha baccha-type looks) and was also not made the target of egg-bombs.

So, the take-aways? Hmm.. small things such as this tell you a lot about the people around you.. about how much they care for you, how much they love you… and today, when I look back at these small incidents… I feel grateful that those many kicks landed on my bottom… for today, I have some of the nicest people I know as my friends…

As I always say… Life is full of pleasant surprises… :)

Now as a bonus to this blog, I am adding some clips and also the birthday mail that was sent out to all students before my grand hooshing… it also showers generous praise on me, so that’s another incentive… :D

*wicked-I-am-so-brilliant-smile*

“Hey IIM B,

What do you do to people who do not declare these B'Day for the fear of being hooshed?? You catch them and hoosh them the hardest possible!!!

We meet at L^2 tonight for the very same reason, to "celebrate" the BDay of a certain Mr. Patwari whose Bday was a couple of days back but the batch-mates discovered it today. So now its revenge time...PGP 2's invited to take out all their exam time frustration.

"Are mujhe last bench par baitha diya. kaise samjega hum lectures?"

"CA mein mera bahut kharab rank aaya tha!" (AIR 39 *^%**%)

"Kitna aata use karte hain roti mein, chhee!"

"kaisa khana hai yaar, chhee!"

"kitne machhar hai yahan ki library mein!"

"Bahut kharab marks aaye hai. sab mere se aaage honge!" (to a guy scoring 72, after himself scoring 87 in BGS)

Crib, crib, crib and a bit more crib!

And thus was born Cribbesh, the fraud CA, the half auditor, the super-sincere stud of Sec D.

A born fighter, he has buried himself into books right from the first week. In fact, he once seriously considered changing his room from K block to C block!

Reason - to quote the great man -

"I want to save the 15 minutes I spend everyday walking to class and mess, yaar. Can put more fight"

In fact the only reason he is still in his old room is the proximity to the loo, which incidentally he is in love with. In fact he spends more time in the loo, rather than in his room.

Talk about girls and the guy blushes big time. Further, given his devotion to studies and globe, we assumed that the fraud bong, would never be interested in the fairer sex. We were duly proven wrong when Cribbesh confessed to holding a torch and a lot more for ******** (Censored). Tribute must be paid to the bugger, who actually had ******* (Censored again) … Nah … the hero got the all India 39th rank ("woh to consolation prize tha, yaar"). By the way, the girl does not know that his aashique has gotten into IIMB!! Height of modesty!!

Yogesh is angry at you, he is furious and it shows on his face. He is about to open his mouth and you stand there waiting for the choicest of abuses to be hurled at you. And what actually comes out?? - "Chor", "Nalayak". Yeah, these are the most abusive words in Yogesh's vocabulary. Unbelievable for a 22 years old guy? But then, our Yogesh is one of his kind!

However, with his intelligence, simplicity and straightforwardness, he is sure to win many hearts in his two years here! Any statistical estimates as to how many of them will be female hearts??? Our calculations show a 99% confidence interval!!

Wishing this wonderful person a very happy, though belated, birthday.

Credits: Sec D Back Benchers Club”

~Snapshots 2~

A few more glimpses of life@IIMB

2nd term was relatively a chiller affair... .. 'Coorg Trip' with the Section D-ites...












That's Pabbo Studdari... and me







Catching an occasional nap in class - trying to lure the ever-elusive sleep..

Birthday Celebrations at L^2...














Diwali celebrations... on campus!











Suit boot and photography!

That's my room, by the way

Tagged!!!!!

The third day of summer placements... I walk into the interview-room like a zombie - tired, shattered and bitter...

The lady looks up and smiles... "Hello Yogesh, take a seat"

"Let us play a game Yogesh.. you guess the question that I am going to ask next.. and if you guess it wrong, you lose points. Is that fine?"

"Yes" I replied, too tired to do otherwise....

"So, tell me Yogesh, what am I going to ask next?"

"Hmm.. you'll ask me.... to introduce myself....." I said, earnestly hoping that she doesn't ask that 'cuz I was too bored of repeating the same mugged-up stuff over and over again for three days.. carrying that plastic smile on my face, trying fruitlessly to hide the pain that possessed my heart...

"No.. what I will ask you is..." and she looked at me menacingly "What went wrong on DayZee?...."

I stared at her... what was she trying to do? Make a mockery of my pain...I tried to open my mouth... but my heart burned... as if some unknown force had pushed a burning rod into it..
and the pain bagan to flow out....slowly...

What went wrong?? Do I know the answer?? No, perhaps not....

Being a non-engineer had ensured that I have a flurry of shortlists... but didn't ensure anything more than that. For the first time, I realized that being academically bright is not everything in the world.. All these so called DayZee companies look for something much more than that..
So what was it that I lacked?

Well, among many other things..one in particular which acted as bane was, as one recruiter put it, "Yogesh is just too nice and too polite... he wouldn't fit into our culture"... !@#$%^&*

Yes, perhaps my personality acted as the biggest drawback for me.. I am not 'pseud'.... quite a popular term at IIMs.. which signifies style, panache and attitude..something which I clearly lack..

Frustrating and painful though it may be, but the summers process did teach me a lot about myself and about the world. Being shoved from one interview to the other, without making a hit anywhere... and seeing your friends celebrating all around you is shattering... specially when you always thought that you were good..

And you find similar people around you.. people who have always excelled at whatever they have done.. and now who are left at the mercy of fate.. waiting to get a nod that they are good too.. that they deserve at least the mediocre, if not the best. The pain is mutual and some of the best friendships germinate in those 5 days.. people who undertstand each other..and who have been with each other, not in happiness but in pain..

There are several realizations that come to you once the summers process is over..

One, you realise that companies which otherwise earn a lot of respect out of campus, are derided just because they come recruiting on DayOne or DayTwo..

Second, there is a lot of hype surrounding overseas placements which is quite unnerving as the expectations of all students are raised... but only the lucky few actually make hay..

Third, you get to know who all your true friends and who are not.. there were people who were assisting in the process and supporting those who needed comforting.... in times like this, even a caring word from a friend means a lot... but then there were those who didn't give a damn as to whether others were placed or not.. but were busy celebrating their success immediately after DayZee... nothing wrong with that.. just that you were expected to be somewhere with someone..

With the summers process, I have, quite possibly, seen the worst in my life.... and I feel that I came out much stronger than what I earlier was.. But, yes, it has also ensured that I get 'tagged' DayOne guy for the rest of my stay at IIMB....


There are times when you want nothing in this world... nothing, other than just cuddle in your mother's lap and cry.. cry like a kid... and that feeling that here's someone who understands you.. who doesn't care what you are.. who doesn't care what the world thinks... who simply loves you....selflessly... and your ears hear her caring words even though she is miles away... and you cuddle in your bed... and cry.. silently.. cuz you are a man.. a strong man... and you know that another day awaits you tomorrow....

~~Snapshots~~

Okie... been out of action for quite some time....
here're the snapshots of what I've been upto all these days:

Classes, classes and more classes,

Assignments, quizzes and submissions...







Those cherished moments when we go out of campus... be it only for a bite..









Anti-reservation protests... a peaceful demonstration of our angst against the governement's divisive policies










The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala talk... among a series of others...












The Matki-Phod... Esctasy... and other cultural activities... :))

Phew!!! Boy, you have been busy...

Life@IIMB Part-III

......Till I saw a man with no feet!!!!


I apologise for posting such maudlin thoughts in my last post!!! As I now realise, life couldn't have been more generous to me. Did I deserve all that was served to me on a platter..? I'm able and I'm competent..... yet I choose to crib and not fight it out....

If there is something that one never stops doing, in this wonderful siesta called 'life,' it's 'learning'. We learn as we trudge along and in course, perhaps, evolve as better human beings... And, at times, something extra-ordinary happens which goes on to shake the very beliefs and the values we stand for.

And learn I did when I volunteered for Vikasana's new endeavour this Sunday. A group of spastic children, full of a zeal for life, but daunted by the tyranny of their fate, arrived for a short visit to our campus. Each of them had ambitions... and they were fighting tooth and nail to reach the same... one of them, a fresh commerce graduate just like me, wanted to get into an IIM.... another, a small kid, wanted to be a scientist...
and many of them did succeed.... one of them was doing 3D-animation, which my engineer friend informs me that even fully able qualified engineers find difficult... another was an artist and his sketches could have put a professional artist to shame...

We had a wonderful time together... we wanted them to have a good time.... but it ended the other way round. We enjoyed ourselves more than we could have imagined...

When they were about to leave.. one of them said in his farewell speech..."After coming here, we realized, may what people sayoutsise the gates of IIMs, you guys also have a heart..."

So, what do I do now.... be thankful to God to have put me in such a privileged position. But does that mean that it is wrong to have ambitions and then feel bad when you fail in your efforts.. No, we can't stop trying to better ourselves for then we would stagnate...
But it is wrong to blame life and fate when they have been so kind to you... and you could not make the best out of the privileges bestowed on you...

Life@IIMB Part-II

Midterm-Phobia

In this world, there are three types of people (No, this is not that cliched bollywood-movie dialogue!!!). First, who slog day in and day out... and in the end, come out with flying colours; Second, who don't give a damn about grades, who make the best out of their time(i.e. enjoying life to the fullest) and don't even wince upon getting pathetic marks; Third, who know how to beat the system, who make the best out of their lives too... but who, miraculously, also get top grades.

Surprisingly enough, I don't fall in any of the above categories. I form part of that rare breed who slog day in and day out... but still end up getting pathetic grades.
This truth glared at me immediately after I had landed at this place. Having performed miserably in the first few quizzes... I realized that I, perhaps, will have to put serious fight to survive here among this bunch of engineers.

Hard work doesn't scare me, but fear of failure does....

It's something wonderful if you have never failed in your life, if you have always managed to stay ahead of the rest, if you have always been this demi-god figure among your peers.... but, unbroken success comes with an accompanying curse... it makes to used to being successful, used to being popular, used to being looked up to... and that is where the fun starts.

Never before had it happened that Yogesh Patwari was scared of sitting in an exam. But the very thought of taking the mid-term Quants paper was giving me goose-bumps. Somehow, since my childhood days, I always failed to appreciate the beauty of this animal called 'Mathematics'. It was always 'Me Vs Math'.... and just imagine my plight when I realized that in the next two years, I will have to grapple with Quants in virtually every course that I take.

Hey.... I am not the only one cribbing after getting in..

There's this girl on campus who topped her university and was awarded a gold-medal for her spectacular performance.... last heard, she was barely scoring above-average in the tests... there's this guy who, after quitting a high-paying job, realized that he's simply not good enough to survive at IIMB.....

IIMB may or may not bring the best out of you. But it is adept at doing something for sure. And that is dragging you out of your ivory-tower and making you face the real-world, the real-competition... real struggle for survival.
Not fair... but then, whoever said life was ever fair?

Life@IIMB Part-I

There are times when we spend hours appreciating the beauty of a single moment and there are times when we experience the most beautiful moments of our life but don’t even have a second to stand by and reflect. My first few days at IIMB have been somewhat along the latter line. It has been a rollercoaster, an experience which would form an indelible part of my memory.

Before coming here I had apprehensions about this place and whether I would be able to cope with the pressure or not. As regards the latter, I am still not very sure. But, yes, being one of the very few commerce graduates among a herd of engineers is a special feeling, no doubt. I had heard stories of engineers being devilish creatures, hardened by merciless ragging in engineering colleges. I had apprehensions and fears which I dared not express. Things couldn’t have been more different than what I had imagined.

Come to this place and a single most important truth would strike you. You are no longer important. While back home, you were considered to be this super-stud who cracks exams with finesse, come to IIMB, and you would be dwarfed by the rocking profiles which almost all the facchas possess. (At one point in time, I did contemplate what the IIMB authorities could have possibly seen in me… I mean, compared to others’ profiles…)

First, about the campus…. simply, awesome!! The entire structure is made up of grey stones which gives it the look of an old palace. Cosseted from the urban jungle by lush greenery on all sides, IIMB is the ‘perfect seat’ for learning. And the weather… it pampers you till you are spoilt like a brat.

The first week was the ‘orientation program’. It was a flurry of activities. IIMB has devised this unique way of “breaking the ice” between the PGP1s. Throughout the week, we, as a group, participated in a variety of activities, none of which had anything to do even remotely with studies, but at the end of which we came to know almost every other member of the batch.

We were divided into small groups of 6-7 and made to discuss among ourselves inane topics. We changed our groups after every discussion. While it did seem idiotic at first, by the end of the session, we had known all the members of our batch. Then, there was this unique session where every member had to introduce his neighbor to the entire class.

We were also taken for an outbound trip to “breakthrough” – a local camp-site. There we spent the entire day playing a variety of games (which all somehow ended in a moral each). But, most importantly, we had a lot of fun together. We did rope-walking, log-pulling and other stuff which would look amusing on paper, but we had helluva fun doing these.

We also had “Abacus” – the Yoga session where we were encouraged to be creative and we played a variety of games which ranged from a variation of dumb-charade, spoof on News-channels, aerobics, music etc.

While all this may sound to be very relaxing, trust me, the first week was something I would never forget. We were given a host of assignments by seniors from resume submission to getting 25 student-interaction forms filled up, all to be accomplished within ridiculous deadlines. But it all ended in the traditional IIMB way where all of us (both seniors and juniors) had a lot of fun.

How could I have not mentioned the L^2 parties till now! These form the lifeline of stay@IIMB. Though I am not a party animal and can’t dance to save my ass, there is no harm in seeing beautiful girls hitting the dance-floor. We have these parties every fortnight which continue well into the morning.

Classes have started and the actual IIMB experience is taking a toll on my sleep-hours rather badly. Will elaborate on that sometime later… But, for now, I am giving you a glimpse of the Hostel-Life@IIMB....

How birthdays are celebrated at IIMB:

Party begins at midnight. You are brought to the famous L^2 and wished "Happy Birthday". Just when you start feeling elated and marvel at the huge gathering of students who seem to care for you and have assembled in the chilly night to wish you, the actual fun starts.

You are 'Hooshed' in the traditional IIMB way and also punched and kicked. Then you have to name your favorite PGP1 girl. That girl would come forward and smear cake on your face. And then, it becomes a free-for-all. Every one throws cake at each other.

No, that is not all. The birthday boy is made to do 'pole-dance' a la Malaika Arora. He is then made to sit in the mud and given a bath, first with water and then with sauce. When you are completely covered in mud, you are required to do a "nagin" dance.

And, yes, you get kicked and punched all the while. Doesn't that make you curse why were you born in the first place?
Darn, I have already entered my birthday on SPIDI and there is no way of taking it down…. Waiting for my turn at the altar…

A Home away from HOME!!!

Some pics of my new home... IIMB
Wouldn't you fall in love with this place?

4th April--->IIMB---> The Last Laugh!!!

The Big BANG-alore interview

Panel Description:
One middle-aged, cordial prof (Prof1)
One young, smart prof with a laptop (Prof2)

Group Description:
There were 3 groups of 7 members each. In my group, one guy thought he wud rather miss the bus.. so 6 guys in my group.

GD: Not Good

Read:10 mins... Discuss:15 mins... Summarise:15 mins...
It was a case about 'BAT'----> long-lost brother of 'CAT'. Well, it was about IIBs who conduct BAT for entrance into their colleges. A particular non-profit organisation with 25 employees is in charge of conducting the test, processing answers and generating score-cards. Prof Mani, in charge of this body, is in dilemma. He realises that the number of munna-bhais taking the test (B bole to Bio-medicine) is increasing at a healthy rate of 12%. This year 1 lakh applicants took the test. But upgradation of infrastructure required for meeting future demands... two options: small-scale, low-cost OR large-scale, high-cost with automation...? Crap case... had a decent discussion though. On an individual front, did not perform well. not many entries... non-descript performance.
Summarised well though... broke up into paras and wrote a decent summary... (the young prof was continuously typing something on his laptop thruout the GD... and, yes, told that our writing skills wud be tested in the summary!!! )

Interview: Dunno

I was the second last guy to be interviewed.. everybody before me had cool intrvws.. Avg Duration: 20 mins..

(I don't remember the exact sequence of questions asked)

Enter, wish, sit...
Prof2 confirms my ranks and marks... :)
Prof1: You have pretty good score in 10th.. why took commerce, not science?
Me: Hailing from a business family, perhaps inclination towards commerce.. had Book-Keeping in 10th.. enjoyed accounting.
Prof1: Parental Pressure?
Me: No... decision was upto me.
Prof1: So, from early age...took ur own decisions...
I smiled..
Prof1: Yogesh, how wud you rate the performance of the group in the GD as well as your own performance.. rate both on a scale of 1 to 10.
Me: (Oh, how I hate this question.... try to act smart ) Sir, I think the group as a whole performed really well..
Prof1: No, no, first give me ratings.. then justify.. (Prof2 smiles at this)
Me: umm.. I think the group can be given a score of 8 on 10... told why.. as for me, it's really difficult for me to evaluate my own performance.
Prof1: In life, u have to do many difficult things..
Me: Okay, then 4-5 on 10... told that I feel didnt do too well...
Prof1: What are the criteria for evaluation in a GD?
Me: ( Only if I'd known that!!!)... told had to evaluate both group and individual performance.. for group--> Content, group dynamics.. for individuals---> Content, initiative and group behaviour.. elaborated on this..
Prof: Put urself in our shoes.. what wud u analyse first.. group performance or individual performance..
Me: (Oh man, where is this leading..if I were in ur shoes, I wud admit myself!!) Sir, I believe that individual performance is a function of group performance... xplained..
Prof2: Isn't it the other way round?
Me: Sir, individuals may score as regards content but group behaviour is more important..
Prof1: Can it happen that a particular group has a high score than another but a member of second group has higher score than a member of first group? (Gave me paper and said draw a model and explain)
Me: Told... Yes, Possible.. explained with diagram.
Prof1: Can it happen that all members of second group get more than members of first group..Me: As regards content.. possible.. but not in group behaviour.
Prof1: Think again..
Me: Sir, to me it seems unlikely.. however, I'm not sure.

Then Prof2 asked me about not continuing with CA.. handled this well..

Prof1: Do you follow the stock market?
Me: No, sir.

Prof1: Follow general business trends?
Me: Read newspaper..
Prof2: White ones or Pink ones?
Me: (smiling) Sir, white ones.. The Telegraph..
Prof2: You had a project in college on 'Call centers- HR Angle'---> what were ur findings..
Me: Told.. a few follow-up questions on attrition, our group recommedations etc... handled perfectly well. As a matter of fact, wanted to talk on this in all my intrvws (as it's something unique for commerce undergrads) but was quizzed only in IIMI earlier on this...that too not directly on the project.. felt satisfied.

Prof1: How do you analyse a company's financial position?
Me: (It was a very broad question... thought 'ab to poora interview isipe hoga') Gave a very general answer by highlighting diffrent points of view for analysis..gave so many enticements to grill me on.. thought wud be asked to go in details.. but profs did not delve into this..
Prof2: What are ur career goals? Do you have any idea about the type of companies that come for recruitment at IIMB..
Me: Yes, told... considering my background I wud like to get into a financial services company..Then I talked about my objectives... mentioned want to do something for society.. this caught Prof1's attention.
Prof1: What way can you do something for society?
Me: Talked abt adopting villages.. told had read an article on same.. CSR..
Prof1: Isn't that the duty of the Govt?
Me: Yes, but we need to do our bit too..
Prof1: Why wud employees want to do this?
Me: Co. wud pay them as they pay any other employee.. a separate deptt. can be formed for this.. elaborated..
Prof1: Wudn't it be better if we have a central agency for rural upliftment and corporates donate funds..
Me: Talked abt how donations made now too.. but corruption, long bureaucratic channel.. the money is embezzled.. no benefit reached to those for whom it is meant..need for proper implementation. Co. shud actively try to help..
Prof1: Extra burden for Co? No competence in this regard..
Me: Can recruit competent people.. not much burden for big corporates..
Prof1: Ideally, Co. shud donate funds and monitor it's use..
Me: True, but not done so now... I feel active participation by Cos wud give better results.

That's it..
Thank you..

Felt good that Profs went thru my certis proprly and yes, Prof2 was at times doing something on his laptop..

VERDICT: MADE IT!!!! Season ended for me with a BANG....:)

It Began Thus...

One could easily take me to be one of those studious types of 'uncool' guys. I look very much like a bookworm and I daresay, I actually am. I have an army of friends, though, and we always have a gala time together. I am one of those who are shy to the point of being taken as indifferent. I love chatting with ppl but am unlikely to make the first move..

Did schooling from 'Andhra Association School' and 'St. Lawrence High School', both in Kolkata. About to graduate in Commerce from 'St. Xavier's College', Kolkata in June'06. Took CAT'05 and bagged BLACKI...


Needless to say, more than anything else, CAT-Calls ;) acted as a big lucky break for me. Much of how my life takes shape in the future has been decided by this single most important event of my life.I'll put down my bitter-sweet GD/PI experiences at the IIMs and also XLRI here in my Blog.. as these from indelible parts of my memory...Happy Reading!!!

BTW, I must add... Me an avid HARRY POTTER fan :-)

Thanks for visiting my blog :-)
Regards,
Yogi