IIM indore Interview : High hopes :)

IIM Indore PI and WAT:
I am a mining engineer from IIT kharagpur and currently working at Coal India Limited. Scored an average 97.75 %le (with 83.83 in QA) in CAT and miraculously managed calls from Indore n Kozhikode (GOD exists). Indore was my topmost priority and prepared for it. Had other calls from IIFT and SP jain.
WAT:
1. Summary: One descriptive type passage on auctions and its variants. A very easy one I would say. Word limit: 130 words.
2. Essay: It is believed that women are better boss than men. Do you agree or disagree with it. You may support your views with examples if required. Word limit: 200 words.
My view: Yes, they are. Started on a diplomatic note, then mentioned about current scenario of men bossing around other men and women in corporate sector. Then started talking about women being house makers and then said about anthropology having the same opinion. Para changed, now linked the whole thing with anthropology in a greater detail. And finally summarized that nature itself has made women better managers compared to men. Didn’t mention Indira nooyi, Sonia Gandhi, Margret thecher, or someone else because I knew others would do this.
PI:
Panel: P1- A young prof (my guess)
P2: An old prof. (very knowledgeable, hats off. Asked me all mining questions)
P3: An old lady prof. ( smiling nature, must be from HR )
As I entered into the room, they asked me to sit down, and pass my file. I opened the zip of the folder and then passed it.
P1: so, you are from Bhopal. After my yes, he asked what is the altitude of Bhopal?
Me: ( was shocked on this opener, then after a few seconds) that is height in meters?
P1: yes, meters or feet..
Me: I am not sure but I think it is close to 400 m.
P1 was okay with this answer (actual ans. is 427 m). Then he asked me about my views on budget. Now, I was very happy on this one. Had my K interview on 28th and then travelled to Bhopal. Then after 3-4 hours of rest, left for Indore and then read budget only during the whole night. It paid.
Me: I think budget was a balanced one. If we discuss sector wise: Fiscal deficit is reduced to an expected 4.6%. Tax, direct income tax limit has been increased from 1.6 to 1.8 lakh rupees. As expected after rail budget, more relief has been given to old people. Now, no increase has been done in sales and duties tax but more items are now included in the list.
P1 interrupted: What do you mean when you said “balanced budget”?
Me: Yes sir, tax relaxation has been given to common man where as price increase will be faced by those commodities whose users are not very affected by inflation. Like:
1. 1000+ hotel rooms
2. A/C restaurant drinkers
3. Branded apparel etc.
Also added that it was “Robinhood type” budget, in which money will be collected more from people who are less affected by inflation and will be used for healthcare, education NREGA etc.
I also mentioned increased duty on Iron ore export so that local industrial demands can be catered. P1 asked me about iron balls/ pallets?
Me: That I don’t know but I remember reading in bullets that steel will be cheaper.
Now P2 started asking. Purely acads. Me shocked that how come he know about Mining.
P2: In gassy coal mines, what precautions are taken?
Me:
1. Ventilation should be proper.
2. Before blasting methane quantity should be measured at face.
3. No welding practice should be done underground. Now he asked me if it’s must, what can has to be done. I told him the procedure.
4. Regular measurement of gas at return airways.
5. Flame safety lamp should be carried by mining staff.
6. Flame leak proof instruments are used.
P2: Why do we go for stowing?
Me: When we have some residential area, archeological site, forest reserve etc on the top of UG mining site, we go for stowing method so that subsidence doesn’t reach surface.
P2: If at a coal cutting machine’s working place, roof is very loose and falling continuously. What you will do?
Me: I haven’t visited any coal cutting mine till date, but my understanding says that roof support should be proper.
He interrupted and said that roof support is not a possible option since you are moving forward. Then I added that proper caving is required, otherwise air blast can happen. He was satisfied with the answer and P3 started asking questions. From here interview became more interesting.
P3: I can see that you won 1st prize in creative hindi writing and started “wall magazine” as well in your college..
Me: (modestly interrupted with a smile) madam, wall magazine was a group effort.
P3: okay, so do you do something else in this direction?
Me: yes, I write blog as well. I would like to share one poem if you permit.
http://penvspaper.blogspot.com/2010/04/ccd-and-hum.html
They enjoyed that poem :D Then asked what inspires me. I said that when people thru facebook, twitter, gtalk etc try to mention where they have been to and try to make a status out of CCD, barista etc that I inspired me.
P3: Do you know that there is location based advertising these days. Any idea?
Me: (clueless but after one hint of google maps) when we search some location on google maps, hotels near that location pop-up.
P3: yes, any other example?
Me: I don’t know maam.
Then she mentioned about foursquare.com
P3: what novels you have read so far? (had mentioned novel reading as my hobby)
Me: alchemist
P3: I am not very impressed with it. There are too many novels mentioning person going from rags to riches.
Me: I haven’t read too many novels on this theme but what I like about alchemist is that internal dilemma is pictured very beautifully and at times I can relate it to my own life.
P3: But don’t you think that women are portrayed in a very bad light in that novel?
Me: yes, I agree. The character of Fatima, that tribal girl, was portrayed such as she doesn’t has her own will and will wait for the shepherd till eternity. But I liked the main message of the novel so much that I overlooked these aspects.
P3: okay, what other novels have you read?
Me: Animal farm
P3: What you learnt from that?
Me: I learnt how things in a political system go wrong. There are two kind of people, sheep who don’t know and donkeys (that benzamin character) who stay inert and don’t interrupt when system was failing.
P3: Can you relate those characters to Indian politics?
Me: yes, politicians of 40-50s were like that old pig/ lenin character who were having some ideology and had a vision. After them came a generation of donkeys who never bothered to join politics and then nepoleons got a chance to come into power because public had no choice.
P3: so can you name a few nepoleons?
Me: (smiling) I believe this as a closed room.
P3: (smiling too)Don’t worry. We wont share it with anyone.
Then I named a few corrupt ones who were elected by vox populi.
My interview ended on this note.

2 pages from my diary

जीवन में कुछ घटनाएं ऐसी घटती हैं जो हमारे मानस पटल पर अमिट छाप छोड़ जाती हैं | भीड़ में चलते हुए भी शायद ही कभी हम उन अनजाने चेहरों पर ध्यान देते हैं जो वक़्त की धूप मैं मुरझा गए हैं | हर चेहरा अपने पीछे एक कहानी छुपाये हुए है लेकिन सुनने की फुर्सत किसको है | "Success story" best seller novel बन जाती है लेकिन किसी गरीब की विवश कहानी तो हैंडपंप का पानी है, कोई पीना ही नहीं चाहता लेकिन सौ करोड़ के देश में आम आदमी के हिस्से में और क्या आएगा ! ऐसे में अगर सूखा पड़ जाए फिर तो गरीब की आँखों से आंसू तक सूख जाते हैं |
वर्ष 2008 कुछ ऐसा ही समय था | Kgp में मैंने काफी ख़राब placement scene देखा जो हम 3rd years को खतरे की घंटी प्रतीत हुआ | Recession पर discussion भी काफी आम हो गये | जब मैं दिसम्बर की छुट्टी के बाद घर लौट रहा था तब ट्रेन में एक परिवार के साथ सीट मिली | पति-पत्नी और २ बच्चे, छोटा बच्चा शायद एक बरस से भी कम उम्र का रहा होगा | परिवार का मुखिया मुझ से सिर्फ 3-4 बरस ही बड़ा होगा लेकिन धूप में झुलसा हुआ उसका चेहरा और उसमें धंसी हुई उसकी आँखें उसकी उम्र कुछ ज्यादा ही बता रही थी | बात करने पर पता चला कि वो kharagpur के पास किसी गाँव का रहने वाला है और काम कि तलाश में गुजरात गया था | बड़ोद्रा का diamond cutting business तो विश्व विख्यात है, पिछले 8 वर्षों से वही उसकी आजीविका का स्त्रोत था | इस दौरान उसने काफी अच्छा समय देखा, कभी कभी तो इतना काम था कि दिन के २४ घंटे भी कम पड़ जाते थे | लेकिन अभी समय बदल गया है | अचानक एक दिन लोगों ने recession कहना शुरू किया और हमारा काम कम होने लगा | पुराने order cancel हो गये, नया आना तो दूर की बात | मालिक लोगों को भी हवा का रुख समझ आ गया | कभी एक दिन की भी छुट्टी न देने वाले मालिक ने हमको महीने की छुट्टी दे दी, अब तो 4 महीने हो चुके हैं | कुछ हो न हो गरीब के पास उम्मीद जरुर होती है, एक बेहतर कल की | बिना काम के शहर में रुक गये और जो थोडा पैसा था, वो भी गया | अब तो उम्मीद भी नहीं बची है | इसलिए गाँव जा कर वहीँ काम करूँगा | जब बिज़नस फिर से ठीक हो जायेगा तब कोई बुलावा भेज देगा |
उस आदमी को सफ़र के बाद तो मैंने अलविदा कह दिया लेकिन मैं उस को कभी भूल नहीं पाया | ऐसी अनगिनत कहानियां हमारे शहर की सड़कों पर घूम रही हैं जो अपने अस्तित्व की रक्षा के लिए संघर्षरत हैं | हम तो हमेशा recession को poor placement से ही पारिभाषित करते हैं, उस आदमी ने मुझे recession का वो चेहरा दिखा दिया जो मेरी कल्पना से परे था |

CCD and Hum

मुन्ना बोला बापू मुझ से कभी कभी यूँ कहते हैं,
देख ले बेटा सीख ले तू इस देश में कैसे रहते हैं |

सादा जीवन उच्च विचार, सब बातें हैं बातों का क्या,
Daddy जब तेरे कमा रहे, ATM है पैसों का क्या |

एक - एक रूपये की बचत करें, रिक्शेवाले से लड़ते हैं ,
bargain सफल हो जाये तो तृप्ति का अनुभव करते हैं |

"जागो ग्राहक जागो " का tempo तब भला कहाँ जाता है,
२ रुपए की कॉफी का, जब पचास रुपए हम देते हैं |

जब पैसा दिया है तो उपभोग भी करेंगे,
दो घंटे तक A.C.-Sofa का उपयोग हम करेंगे |

Gtalk का status message , भी अब CCD पर ही होता है,
ज्यादा का नहीं लालच हमको, कॉफी में गुजारा होता है |

है देश बढ़ रहा आगे पल पल, तू किस इंतज़ार में बैठा है,
एक और कॉफी का आर्डर कर, जब जेब में काफी पैसा है |

भारत माँ के लाल दो देखो , एक भूखा तो दूजा सक्षम है,
रुखी रोटी और CCD का संगम, देखो बड़ा विहंगम है |

Reservation-Reservation...always before election

Believe me guys ...i dnt understand what these politicians really want...are they really eager to serve a country which have 27% of their population as OBC...or they just want to create a vote bank before elections...
These days , for all our major giants (BJP or Congress), it is like a game for them to play with reservation topic...just before elections, they introduce new freshly made lucrative reservation schemes to nurture their vote bank...its now their policy to make what promise you want and get votes on that....you have a big chance to win...
We all remember that last incident , of rajasthan where BJP promised before state elections that they will add Gurjars into ST's and after their govt. coming into power they just tried to get rid of that. And all the chaos and agitation that followed in rajasthan.
Now the history is going to repeat itself...but this time on national scale....and for god sake don't think that they are implementing reservation in such a hurry for benefit of backward classes.