Tuesday, February 28, 2006

What not to do in a management interview.

If you want to read a donts list of things for the GD/PI process of IITB, read the my experience of the process. I did everything exactly the way it was not supposed to be done.

After experiencing IIM K, I filled my form on the previous day itself. Reached at 8.05 am for the process supposed to start at 8.00. It started at 8.15 with a presentation on SJMSOM. They unabashedly concentrated on the salary and placement part in the presentation. (And after that they want us to come up with creative reasons on "Why MBA?") Even showed us an Metro Aaj Tak clip concentrating on SJMSOM. (Don't know how much they must have paid for it, so much for business ethics). One commendable thing was that the whole process was managed by the students themselves. They were very accomodating regarding dates and timings of interview. Also, students were answering all types of questions readily in the online forums. Questions related to course, accomodation, placements etc. were tackled by the students after the process.

The professors introduced themselves before the GD. GD topic was a HR case study on a company preparing food products for major airlines. Most of its 535 employees were part of a union and for the past 5 years, number of greivances had increased 15% every year and presently stands at 803. Then breakup of grievances was given with breakup of the stage at which they were solved. After this three questions were asked:

1) How will you approach the union leaders?
2) If the Industrial relations department asked you to develop a training program whom will you call for the program.
3) What exactly are you going to train.

I was completely lacking points and was blank in the GD. The moderators were polite enough to especially ask all those who where quiet if they wanted to contribute anything? I mumbled something about union incitement and linking employee pay to company growth. Was mostly dazed and dumbstruck. Sat like a cow muching through the whole GD.

Was the first to be called for PI. Now the fun started. There were three panelists. I managed to convince all three that I am good for nothing and they better not take me in.

They started with the standard tell me about yourself. Told me my performance in GD has been very laidback. Seemed I was not interested. Truthfully told them that I did not have much of an idea about HR anyways and those guys had my empty sheet of paper to check. Then moved on to CAT percentile. Asked me which one will I choose in case I get both IIML and IITB. I said IIML coz it has one of the biggest libraries. Also, I have received excellent feedback from the alumni. It is older and has a better brand name. The guys pounced on me saying what feedback did our alumni give you? What do you know about our facilities? You live in Mumbai yet you never came here to check it out for yourself. You know everything about Lucknow, US, UK but don't know anything about Bombay. Tried giving an answer but the guy was in no mood to listen.

After this, it was slaughter. And I could not even scream bloody murder, for it was my mistake. I had not prepared acads at all. Asked me everything they possible could: fav subject, least fav subject, project, even asked me my favourite formula from electronics (I went blank on that one) etc. I proved to them that I did not have any idea of these at all. It was as if

Panelists (intented statement) : Arre yaar kuchh to bol. Chaar saal kitna tp kiya tune. Kabhi bhool se toh book khol li hogi.
Myself (unintended answer): Don't you worry sir. I have passed all these years without even trying to open my textbook. I am an absolute and complete idiot in all matters electronic.

After this, they went on to TCS placement. Asked me dat it doesn't seem I know much about electronics so do I know anything about IT? After all, I have decided to take a job there. I said I know just some part of C.

Panelist expression : Arre yaar, jo kiya woh bhi nahi aata, jo karnewala hai woh bhi nahi aata. Your lack of focus is truly exemplary.
Myself: Was drawn into self-pity by this time.

Again, they moved on to management mein kaunsa field karna hai? I said will decide in first year depending on which attracts me more : Marketing, finance or systems.
Marketing Q: What is the difference between marketing a soap and a microchip ?

Went on to a long winded lecture on market segments, commodities, targeting...... had just finished lecture on soap and the guy was already tired. So just added that microchip would mean exclusivity and a high margin for an exclusive technology. Ok! So microchip chodd computer bataa. Or do you think it is also a commodity. I said personal computer has transformed into a commodity so IBM moved out of the business. Gave me a smile. Commodity has low profit margins, then HLL ke margin high kyun hain? Gave an answer about how they have understood Indian market, reach even remote villages with their product. (Didn't say it but basically meant wider base, bigger market.) Here the fellow just gave another smile. A sort of mocking smile this time on (Beta jyada mat phenkh, ham tere baap hain is subject mein. Nahi aata toh I don't know bol de).

Then they came on to what you do in free time. Told them about reading. Finally my area of strength. Went on about an eclectic assortment of books. Asked me to summarize first chapter of Amartya Sen's 'The Argumentative Indian'. Did that reasonably well. Then came the earth shattering conclusion: 'You seem to like reading a lot! You analyzed that quite well. It seems you read everything except for what is in your engineering syllabus. You are wasting your time in engineering'. Again I wanted to reply saying how engineering helped me develop analytical skills but the fellow cut me short. 'You are just giving excuses'

'How much do you read about Business, Economy etc.'
'(Knew that I am gone by this time. Wanted to have some fun now) I started reading that after I got my CAT and JMET results.' I smiled. Received frowns.

Then finally asked me about Game Theory. I have a certificate for that. Told them I don't know any great theories but just know that it involves basing your decision on the decision of others involved. Asked me to explain prisoner's dilemma. Did that (fumbled sometimes). Could read the expression on their faces : 'We are wasting each other's time yaar. Complete this and leave.'

'Thank you. You can leave'

I left.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Education is Business - I

"Stop the commercialization of education", "Education is not business", "Save knowledge from the businessmen", screamed the hoardings. The scene was a demonstration outside Dadar Station in 2002. I saw these on my way to Vidyalankar. And guess what? I was a silent supporter of those people then. Those were the blue-eyed days of the first semester when I still had great expectations from engineering.

But four (or rather 3 1/2) years of enduring the 'education' system has turned me into a die-hard convert. The whole system from the start till the end is a big farce. You have to go through it to know whats it like!! It's the classic case of the socialist state.

Good intentions (In theory at least).
Idealistic expectations.
Improper Implementation.
No feedback.
No changes.
The system turns into a farce that everyone has to live with.

Lets have some examples of the farcicial process that is called 'education' today (I have used my experiences in engineering here):

1. Assignments:
Intention : To make students think and use their analytical abilities to better understand the course.
Reality : One master copy of the assignment comes out and the speed with which the rest of the class churns out copies would put a photocopier to shame.

2. Journals :
Intention : Students should learn the experimentation process and document it.
Reality : Journals are passed on from one class to the next like traditional heirlooms with the same readings. And like the game of 'telephone', after 3 or 4 such 'generations', the journals hold remarkably garbled messages which will can readily lighten up a sour evening.

3. Lectures :
Intention : To help students gain an intuitive knowledge of the subject coupled with their textbooks.
Reality : For a change most students do learn things here: some learn GRE wordlists, some practice fine art in their notebooks, some learn poetry, some equip themselves with the extremely practical art of copying signatures, while others learn how to appreciate nature (looking out of the window). All this while still maintaining a face thats soaked with sincerity. (Talk of multitasking!!)

4. Practical sessions :
Intention : To help students back their theoretical knowledge with practical experimentation.
Reality : In the cheerful happenstance that the CRO, power supply, breadboard, multimeter do decide to work simultaneously, it becomes increasingly obvious to the 8 students crowding round the apparatus that the only guy who has any idea of what is going on is the lab incharge (not even the professor).

There innumerable examples to sit and count here, from elective courses to final year projects, from incompetent teachers to irrelevant courses, from library facilities to paper presentations, from seminars to industrial visits etc. etc. I will save a lengthy elaboration for some other day, but you get general idea that nothing is working the way it is supposed to be. Everyone around knows everything and everyone has to live with it. And the best part is, the state is least concerned. Given the general scheme of things, the only thought that comes to my mind is that education as it exists is very bad business. Why? It is a unique business in the sense that no one cares for the customers (the students) here who are conveniently made shortshrift of. A business that has been forcibly tagged with the burden of charity and whose progress is stifled in a market circumscribed by socialist boundaries. It would be really funny if not for the fact that it is laying waste the potential of an entire generation.

Will continue tomorrow with how I believe educational reforms can change this. Have to prepare for my IITB interview now.

Next:
Education is Business II
Education is Business III
Education is Business III contd..

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Les Miserables! Will have to read that book now!




You're Les Miserables!

by Victor Hugo

One of the best known people in your community, you have become
something of a phenomenon. People have sung about you, danced in your honor, created all
manner of art in your name. And yet your story is one of failure and despair, with a few
brief exceptions. A hopeless romantic, you'll never stop hoping that more good will come
from your failings than is ever possible. Beware detectives and prison guards bearing
vendettas.



Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Friday, February 24, 2006

It stinks

While writing the topic, I thought for a long time as to what I should write....... 'Education stinks', 'Engineering stinks' , 'Teachers stink' but I could not agree with it for the charade that I have received in the name of education isn't exactly engineering, it's not even education. Plus the guys who attempt 'teaching' me aren't teachers, they are mostly the i-didn't-get-any-other-job-so-I-am-here types. And does this thing stink? You bet!! It stinks more than fresh puke on a hot pavement.

Imagine this:

You have been a reasonably good student all your life. You are not exactly top of the class but you have not got any KTs too. For some reason you have not been able to attend a particular prof's lecture for the penultimate semester. You were also not smart enough to work around the system and ensure enough 'proxy' attendances. But you know something of the subject and are hoping to salvage whatever is left of your reputation (infront of the prof that is) in the viva (oral exams).

You are never given that chance. Your viva-voce turns out to be more an exercise in humiliating you on your lack of attendance. Anyhow, you swallow all this and wait for the final result. When the final result arrives, you see your result wanting to see that little 'P' (indicating Pass) but what you see is a little 'F' (indicating Fail). You check again..... but its that 'F'. 'Hey! I have passed in the all the papers', but then you see........ you have failed in the vivas.

Now stop imagining, for something along these lines has actually happened to a fellow in my class. Why does this anger me? Call me a fool but I am still a stickler for the rulebook. No law in the world allows for such obscene abuse of power as was evidenced in the hallowed corridors of my college on this occasion. You find a student is not attending, his attendance is less than the required 75%. These are logical steps that should be taken (under the present rules) in my opinion:

1) Find out how many such students exist?
- In case there are many look for faults in your teaching. Maybe what you teach is just not relevant.
2) If this is a case with only a particular bunch of students, look into their past records.
3) Call the students and have a talk with them. Try to see if they have any genuine problems.
4) If you are a stickler for attendance give them a warning.
5) If a student still does not turn up, give a second warning, tell him in accordance with the rules, he would not be allowed to sit for the exams (in case the rules allow you to do that) and/or will lose 5 marks of termwork that are related to attendance.
6) If even that doesn't help, cut the 5 marks and/or don't allow the student to sit for the examination.

Ok!! I know you are laughing now....... Which fool of a prof will follow the rulebook anyway? This is the exact problem that I find with the system..... everywhere. Our contempt for the law is so great that no one, not even the so called 'gurus' who are supposed to be ideals follow them. What did the prof in question do here?. He realized that no one cares for the rulebook anyway and the only way he could seek retribution was by using all resources in his power. So he goes out and fails the student in the viva-voce - something completely unrelated with attendance.

This points to another systemic malaise - that of giving more importance to the process than the outcomes (One with which even the rulebook agrees, when it assigns 5 marks for attendance). All that is left of the still-born processes are corpses of ego-warming exercises. But these have to be preserved!! Even at the cost of knowledge, at the cost of education!! So what counts is not whether you can design a multivibrator circuit or whether you have any idea of how a MOSFET works. What matters is how many lectures have you sat for? This is supposed to impart through some super-human process..... automatic knowledge..... even if you weren't listening, even if you weren't mentally present...... or for that matter present only on paper. So what if students were not able to answer what's scaling or how a simple JFET switch works...... the incarnation of ignorance is the guy who did not attend the lectures. Hell! He's the real fool 'cause he tried to be honest and didn't even pull the proxy gag on the prof's eyes. Hang him for his honesty!!! He truly deserves that.

And you know what's the real sad thing? This prof knows the stuff he teaches (that's a rare specimen I can assure you!). I thought this prof was intelligent. And I also thought intelligent people: (a) do not care to stoop to repulsively misusing power (b) Are logical enough to be concerned more about the outcomes than the processes. Obviously, I was wrong somewhere......

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Can anything change????

Recently saw Rang De Basanti..... It must be the most reviewed movie on the internet, almost every blog carried a review. So I will not trouble you with one more. But I did discuss it with some friends and the conclusion we arrived at was that the movie was unrealistic to the hilt. I mean will any sane defence minister, however corrupt he may be, denounce an IAF pilot on prime time television as inexperienced? Will he order lathi charge on peaceful protestors in full public view? The answer seems to be no....

Then I read this today and my views changed. It seems you do not have to be the defence minister to brazenly defy the law. Being a Haryana Minister's son or even being the son of a local MP is enough. It gives you enough license to murder someone infront of scores of people and then go scot free. Time and again I hope that something will be done and time and again nothing is......

Can we actually blame the witnesses that turn hostile? I can already hear the voices blaming: 'It's they who are to blame really.....'. I for once am not sure if I would have stood on my stand. Even if one is ready to hold one's own life at risk, it would be too much to ask one to risk the lives of everyone he or she holds dear. Plus the fact, that public memory is way too short and you can always trust them to forget everything. (The report of the death of a witness for that matter is not even front page news.) The Media as it exists in India only serves as a replacement of reality TV. See it, enjoy it, forget it. This fact is reflected in both quality and quantity of analysis that news receives. For example, while in school when I had first seen AajTak report this crime and had read this piece, I had thought that why don't we make a more cohesive judicial system. After all, if the police is on the lookout for someone and if he appears in a court anywhere in the country, he should be arrested or the prosecution should be given a chance to at least present their case before the order giving bail is passed. But all we do is sit and enjoy it (come to think of it.... India started enjoying reality TV much before the west thought of the concept). I am afraid of asking the same question today. Perhaps because I know that the answer has not changed.......

As for public anger, anger of impotent people like you and me that is fired sporadically by names like Satyendra Dubey, Manjunath Shanmughan and Jessica Lal..... by the image of the powerful politician daring us to do if we can do anything. Don't worry we will get over it. Like we get over most of the other things in life. Come to think of it the best answer at the IIMK interview (about the difference between America and India) would have been our chronic amnesia. They have a system where public outrage once impeached the President, we have a system where we cannot even punish an MP’s son for the crimes he has commited, forget the minister himself. Can it ever change?????? I don’t think it will change anytime in the near future, for life holds hope for people still in India. The odds of standing up to injustice are incentive enough for silence. The only day that things will change is when life whether silent or otherwise does not hold any hope…..

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

My experiments with the IIMK Interview

Finally, one over, two to go. Yes, I am talking of the IIM GD/PI process. The process which selects the raw material to undergo processing at the 'best' B-schools of the nation. As is usual for me, I did not prepare (ok! I did prepare a wee bit after a super-disastrous mock PI at IMS but not that much). Only thing that I very seriously prepared for was for the pronounciation of Kozhikode. Is 'z' silent or not? Also is 'kode' spoken as in 'code' in English or as rhyming with 'thode' (little) in Hindi.

The IIMK interview was scheduled at 2.00 on the 20th of Feb. As far as the forms are concerned yours truly started filling those at 11.00 - exactly three hours before the process starts. By the time I got dressed, bought the file and got ready with my marksheets and the copies, there was simply no time to prepare for any hobbies or look up the acads or for that matter the day's newspaper headlines (I will live to regret the headlines part....). Infact, there was also no scope of reaching on time. This future manager then suddenly regretted his time management skills. There being no options left, I jumped into a cab and went till Dadar. I arrived safe and sound at 1.50 and spent the next ten minutes searching for the GD/PI process rooms of one of the best management institutes about which no one knew (the location of the rooms that is). Anyways, just reached in time and was the last person to register. After around five minutes of anxious waiting (during which I adjusted my tie , wiped my forehead and comforted myself with self-pity for just about a hundred times), a person came and divided us into three batches. Reminded me of Sholay...... Aadhe idhar idhar jao, aadhe udhar jao, aadhe mere peeche aao..... except for the fact that this guy was not mathematically challenged.

Anyways, I followed him (unke peeche) to the first floor. We were asked to wait outside the room. which time was efficiently utilized by all of us in introductions and socializing (as taught in IMS, CL, TIME etc.) An impromptu voting session also told us that this was the first GD for 6/8 people present. The GD topic was

"Seek wisdom not knowledge. Knowledge tells you of the past. Wisdom prepares you for the future - Native American Proverb".

The topic being about wisdom, its very sad that we did not have any wiseguys in this group to make it a fishmarket and allow me to get away by shouting a few pigheaded points. In short, the group was discussion was very level headed with good points flying about and various aspects discussed. It was so polite... One guy even had a chance to say a whole story and was uninterrupted. These in sum were the points I made:

1) Since the quotation is of Native Americans, it reminds me of the Incas who were riddled with infighting when the Spaniards attacked. However, even though they had knowledge of the Spanish attack, they did not have the wisdom to get together and fight the external aggressors. As a result the Spanish conquerors won and the Incas were wiped out.

2) The field of biotechnology is coming up and we need to be aware of what's coming in the future. The U.S. already has bioethics as a major stream of study and is prepared to deal with innovations in the field of biotechnology. India should also show wisdom and utilize this knowledge to build a policy framework to deal with the problems arising.

3) (This was after a guy counted in adjectives the attributes of the wise....) We should
encourage such people to come up in all fields, especially the beauraucracy where they take a lot of time to take very small decisions. Our Prime Minister announced his intention to bring in beauraucratic reforms but did not follow it up. We could have an incentive based system in the beauraucracy like in the industry to reward innovation and encourage progress.

After about 10 minutes, the interview process started (simultaneously with a couple of butterflies who decided to have an impromptu dance session in my belly). I was third in queue. Before the interview, I spent my time deciding on which singer, author was my favourite. Also asked people about the protagonists of Five Point Someone and the formulae for Laplace and Fourier Transform (which were graciously answered by an IITB 8.8 pointer). I also decided to finally read a photocopy of my form and understand whatever I had scribbled before.

The first guy coming out held the opinion that the panelists were cool and asked him amongst other things to speak on the 'Future of India 25 years down the line' for 2 mins. Then the second guy came out (and the butterflies in my belly had decided upon playing football now). I waited nervously for around 5 mins after which one of the panelists called me in... This person was a US return, I could make out from the way he pronounced the S in Saraf. (Lets call him P1 for reference). Once inside I was asked to sit by the other panelist (lets call him P2) who had a great flowing beard (which appeared to especially intimidate a candidate outside).

Both the panelists were kind of unhurried like they dont know what to ask me. There were lots of pauses in the middle and overall it appeared as if they were more or less trying to get me into a conversation rather than test something vigourously.

P1: You have no work ex....

Me: Yes Sir

P2: So Ankur, tell us something about yourself.... Your background, family....

Me: I have been born and brought up in Bombay and come from a family with a commercial background. My father is into steel trading and mother is a house wife. I am currently doing my final year electronics engineering from Sardar Patel College of Engineering.

Both quiet for 3 seconds. Me waiting........ (P1 is reading form)

P2: Why did you say commercial? What does your father do?

Me: My father has a CA degree but he is into steel trading. All the other people in my family have a B.Com degree. Infact, I am the first engineer from my family.

P2: Why did your father not start practicing CA?

Me: gave the reason

P1: So your father trades steel in Bombay?

Me: Yes Sir

Again a period of silence for 2 seconds.

P2: You have any brothers/sisters?

Me: Yes Sir. A younger brother. He is also pursuing his engineering. In the second year now.Again wait... Finally P1 finds something interesting in the form

P1: So you have written about the Mumbai Floods. Water had entered your house... (left it hanging)

Me: Well Sir, those were not exactly floods. Mumbai has not seen floods but that was the closest thing. Described my experience for around 2 mins and also why I consider it an achievement for myself...

P1: These Mumbai floods were compared to another incident... (left it hanging)

Me: The New Orleans disaster....

P1: (Nodding his head) Yes. How do you see that comparison?

Me: Sir I believe the comparison is not justified in the first place. New Orleans is below the sea level while Mumbai is above the sea level. Mumbai does not have a good drainage system but once the rains stopped the water had to go down. On the other hand water had to be pumped out of New Orleans and the levees repaired. If you still want to compare, one point could be that there was lot of theiving and looting in New Orleans while in Mumbai, people were helping each other. People had travelled 10-12 kms on foot and they were offered biscuits, water, food etc. People even allowed others to use their toilets. If you think this way, you can make a comparison.

P2: (With a loaded smile) So! Do you think we are more civilized?

Me: Depends on what you mean by civilization sir. Jim Corbett has described it very beautifully in one of his books. He says that when two people in Indian villages meet, they do not directly come to the point. First you ask the person how is he? How is his wife? What are children studying? How much are they earning? Corbett says that in his country Britain people would be offended with this enquiry. They would feel you are invading their privacy. Western people come directly to the point. So these are just cultural differences. Our culture is ours, their's is theirs. They are more individualistic whereas we are more networked, enmeshed socially. One important reason for these cultural differences I believe is the concept of anonymous trust. They have institutions there you can trust and depend on. If a person there wants to survive alone, it is possible. Whereas in India, you need contacts for very small things. So we need contacts socially. Survival without that is very difficult. That is the reason we are more social while they are not.

P1: Yes. You cannot even trust the government in India. You cannot depend on it...

Me: Yes sir! You cannot depend for your survival on the government. They have social security there which we do not have.

P1: Ok. So you know about the BPO industry? Which would be the next big thing in BPO?

Me: I think law outsourcing would be the next big thing. There is a lot of legal paperwork which US lawyers just don't want to do. I recently read that a US firm is planning to outsource legal paperwork to India. Indian law graduates are ready to do the paperwork after a bit of training. So this field would be the next big thing I think.

P1: Have you heard of medical transcription?

Me: Yes sir! I have heard of it but I dont know what it is exactly about. I think it is something related to Indian Doctors giving you the medicine or molecule name and then searching the appropriate name for the medicine in the US. But again, I dont know for sure.

P1: You have written here that you like reading Non-fiction, fiction, 'comics' (surprised at
comics). So which comics do you read? Phantom, Mandrake....

Me: I read Phantom, Mandrake.... the whole TinTin series..... (Meanwhile P2 takes the form from P1.)

P2: So. You like Captain Haddock? (With a not so loaded smile this time on)

Me: Yes Sir! In fact, why only Captian Haddock? I love all the Tintin characters. The whole of India loves them. Tintin DVDs have been translated into Hindi are selling very well even in the rural areas. The large number of languages the comics have been translated to shows us that people all over the world like them. Coming to Captain Haddock, he's the tough on the outside soft on the inside character we all love. So I like him ofcourse.

P1: You know about the Indian Pharmaceutical industry? They are on a expansion phase. Know something about their activities?

Me: This is a sector I do not know much about sir.

P1: Recently, an Indian pharmaceutical company acquired another one. Do you know?

Me: I know of this news, but I don't know which company acquired which.

P1: It was in the papers. Today's paper I think. (looking at me with the 'you didn't read this news?!?!?....' expression)

Me: Sir, I just glanced through the headlines. Didn't read the whole article. (Regretted not reading the article. I had read only the bird flu articles that too only on the 19th..... they seemed more interesting) I think it was Ranbaxy but I am not sure. I don't remember.

P1: No. It was Cipla.

Me: Ok Sir, might have been Cipla. I don't remember.

P1: But the Indian pharmaceutical industry is on a growth spree. They are expanding all over the world. Dr. Reddy's, Cipla, Ranbaxy all have expanded and acquired other companies.(some examples I didnt know and cannot recall) Do you know anything about their global expansion....

Me: Sir I had read quite a time back that if you have a drug molecule, you can make derivative out of it and patent it. There were quite a few patent wars with Indian companies involved. Also Bill Clinton said that Indian pharmaceutical companies are supplying drugs at lower prices than western companies to Africa.... So they are also doing social work in a way.

P1: He really said this?

Me: Yes Sir. Especially about the AIDS drugs.

P1: During the Mumbai floods, there was also a fire at ONGC, Bombay High drilling plant....

Me: Yes Sir. News came at night. Lots of people.... around 65 I believe were trapped. They rescued most later but 5 or 6 died. They were not able to rescue them.

P1: Yes... So we ask each candidate to speak for about 2 minutes on a topic. I was wondering if you could speak about the acquistions of Videsh... the oil fields it has been acquiring taking the view of India's energy security. You could speak on that.....

Me: (completely blank on this. Didn't even know what Videsh was) Didn't quite get you sir.

P1: (Repeated, Me still clueless... Sensed my discomfort ) You can speak on any other topic too.... anyone that you want.....

Me: Can I speak on psychological warfare. I have done a presentation on it so...

P2: Yes yes why not? (looked at P1 for confirmation.)

P1: In fact, this will be interesting, that is if you don't decide to use those techniques on us of course. (gave a big smile)

Me: Okay! So psychological warfare consists of psychological operations. It is a war of minds which aims to win a victory before the battles starts. It is basically aimed towards two purposes: Reduction of the enemy's moral, increase in the moral of own forces. Also towards winning the support of your own people. Infact Kautilya has given us the precepts of Sama,Dama, Danda, Bheda.

P1: I didn't get that..

Me: (Repeated Kautilya sentence)

P1: Who was Kautilya?

P2: (Before I could answer, said to P1)Kautilya was another name for Chanakya.

Me: (Started explaining sama, jumped to danda, then said dama)

P2: Its sama, DANA, bheda, danda

Me: Ok sir. I got the order wrong maybe

P2: Its dana

Me: yes. My mistake. (then gave meanings of dana and bheda.. Actually wasn't planning to move into this but P1 wanted the meanings. Then continued with examples of Second World War, US-Japan leaflets, leaflets used by US in Iraq. How Russia turned communism on its head to win support of own people. How Hitler blamed everything on Jews to get people to support him. Then sensed that they are getting visibly bored like you may be by now. So ended by saying that today this warfare can be fought through the new media like forums, blogs, which can affect the minds of educated ppl. Ended there) That's it sir.

P1: Ok

Me: (Thinking ok means ok 2 mins over or ok interview over.. Waited for 2 - 3 secs.... Nothing happened... then stood up)

P1: Ok Mr. Saraf ! Best of Luck!

(Whatever that means)

Phew! Ended the post! Finally! Can certainly agree with Amartya Sen now. 'Prolixity is not alien to us' (Which reminds me it was a good thing that I appeared for the GRE)

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Why MBA ??

The GD/PI season has started and with it has started the process of crash-course contemplations and ingenious introspections. The way it goes (atleast for the majority in India) is that you first decide you want to do an MBA and then come up with a reasonable rationalizations to convince the interviewers. And the best part about management is that it is so very vague that it accomodates each and every person with each and every background. So, even though their final goal maybe to become an investment banker with a fat paycheck, the creative career paths that people choose for themselves while 'introspecting' cannot cease to amaze an ordinary intellect. One wants to open his own music company in the future (she's received training in classical music you see) while another wants to join politics and work for the country.

The reason for this 'directionlessness' is not very hard to find. Let's start with a basic analysis. Skim through the best of India's management colleges and you find that more than 60% of the managers are engineers. A variety of reasons are provided for this, the strongest being that 'entrance test aptitude' with its emphasis on number crunching is a forte of engineers. Such is the hold of engineering graduates on management seats that any 'non-engineer' who gets into management roams about wearing his 'non-engineering' background on his sleeve. But from where I see it, it's a systemic malaise that runs deeper than mere 'entrance test aptitude'.

I think it would be a good idea to see why are so many 'management oriented' engineers produced in the first stage. The infant state of India, had provided for the creation of only two elitist autonomous institutions: the IIT's and the IIM's. While these prospered, engineering and management education grew alongside. Ofcourse the medicine, law and other such traditional professions also had their place but the IIT's created a brand-name for engineering that's hard to match in any other field. The result is for all to see. Every child of an 'above average' IQ while in school is told to prepare for the IITs. "This is where the keys of heaven of lie", he or she is explained to in no uncertain terms. Go a little high with your SSC percentage (an indication of the fact that you were able to slog/have a good rote memory/have an above average IQ) and the choice is clear. The dear little 'intelligent' child of the family is going to study science. Commerce is for the middle ones and the disgraceful liberal arts are for the immature imbeciles who were able scrape through. This mechanism ensures that the most of the 'High IQ Crowd' (HIC) is studying science.

Even while in science, the pressure is on to take up either engineering or medicine. Here again, the pure sciences are subjects for losers. So a major chunk of the 'HIC' prepares for engineering and medicine. So, some go for medicine and the rest for engineering (Engineering seats are many, plus there's are the numerous IIT hopefuls who are finally ready to settle for less). The medical grads when see a secured future, a good earning, and an amount of social respect in a society. In short, they see enough money to live on even if not comfortably enough. A non-IITian, after going through a 4 year ordeal in the sub-standard teaching-shops of the country, is asked to take up a job as part of the army of 'cheap labour' mediocre IT engineers that India produces. A quick realization dawns that the technical field was not as good as it was made out to be and India (the IITs included) is not exactly a hub of cutting edge research. It would be worthwhile to mention that some bright engineers with cash to spare take the earliest flight to the US of A. The rest take the same route that they are by now habituated to: the process of elimination. They took science because they looked down on other fields, engineering came in again because the pure sciences didn't matter and medicine was not considered/achieved. So now, the only option which promises a fat salary is management education.

Since, these are a part of the 'HIC', they are above the 'normal' commerce and arts grads when it comes to IQ. So much so, that most of those who score high on the verbal ability sections are engineers. The number crunching quantitative part is not exactly a help for grads from the other fields but this is a minor reason. (You don't see management schools teeming with math grads, do you?).

In the end, in most of the cases behind the veil of the variety of imaginative answers that crop up lies a simple reason: 'LACK OF OPTIONS'. A lack of options that plagues every generation from the time they are in school right up to the top. A lack of options with which every developing society suffers. Let us see if in future, we are able to attain that one true freedom: the freedom of choice.