IIM Lucknow Interview

GD:
You don’t have to be different to be good but you have to be good to be different.

We had to write a four page essay on the topic for half an hour. After that we had a GD on the same topic.
The GD was more of a Points sharing session than a discussion. All of us were just putting forth the points we had written earlier, and there no much of discussion.One fellow kept talking right through the discussion, but it had little good points and more of time wasting talk.

PI

I was the first person to be called..

P1: Pl take ur seat
P2: Can i have your file pl,,
P1: Who’s you role model in Life?
Me: My dad, He’s a freelance journalist..
P1: ( Interrupts…) so all freelance journalists are your role models..??
Me: (smiling) He was working in a bank before he took up..
P1: ( Interrupts…) so all people who worked in banks are your role models is it..??
Me: (smile again) Sir, i have not yet finished, and went on with the remaining part of the answer.
P1: What do you know about sting operations..
Me: Actually sir my dad is not into this kind of journalism.
P1: Thats ok.. Pl tell me.
Me: Told him.
P1: Don’t you think its unethical to conduct sting operations.. that is to tempt people with money and catch them red handed?
Me: No.. The people who are taking money are committing a crime and there’s nothing wrong in exposing them.
P1: But money is important. If i give you three rupees and if i give you three crore rupees, which will you choose?
Me: I’ll choose Three crore provided it is what i am entitled for doing my work. Anything above that is a strict no.
P2: ( Was looking at my file..) You are a mechanical engineer. Do you remember the basics of it?
Me: Yes sir.
P2: If i want to buy a car, which one’ll u suggest, a petrol or a diesel car.
Me: Gave some Gyaan on initial cost, maintenance, running cost etc….
P2: ( after i finish) But running cost would not be that different…
Me: No sir, petrol is actually 50% costlier than diesel and diesel vehicles tend to give more mileage.
P2: What is Knocking.
Me: Told..
P2: What should i do if i find that my engine has knocking.
Me: The best thing would be to take it to a mechanic. (all of us laugh)
Me: Then the mechanic would probably look at the following aspects.. and gave them some tech info and troubleshooting methods.
P2: Tell me about NBA (Narmada Bachao Aandolan);; you had mentioned it in the GD.
Me: told…
P2: Do you think these people have teh knowhow to decide what is good for them and what is not? ( at this time i wanted to say “if they can choose the people who run this country, think they also have the right to seek what they feel is right or wrong:”, but he continued) Why do you think they are protesting.
Me: Farmers will be displaced and ..more gyaan….
P1: but a survey says that 90% of the farmers will want to move to cities given an opportunity.
Me: Probably the survey was taken in famine or flood regions like AP of Maharashtra..
P1: No its a nation wide survey.
Me: Ok sir, I do not believe much in surveys as surveys are not always true. The decision changes when the actual situation comes.
P2: (smiling) but that’s what you’ll do after finishing your MBA. Take surveys analyze data..You should make the survey more intelligent and it should answer the right questions.
Me:

P1 and P2 look at each other… You can leave.

P2: (as i get up) what other call do you hav?
Me: Told..
P2: all the best..