Get the hell out of your challengers in

Group Discussion
By Ashima Srivastava
Technical Writer, YuvaJobs

Wonderful topics and tips to clear Group Discussion

Interviews. How you discuss in interview ?? Get the hell
out of your challengers in GD.

Why do we have group discussion?

Group discussion allows you to exchange information

and ideas and gives you the experience of working in a
team. In the work place, discussions enable management
to draw on the ideas and expertise of staff, and to
acknowledge the staff as valued members of a team.

What can I get out of group discussion?

Some advantages of group discussion are:

 Ideas can be generated.

 Ideas can be shared.
 Ideas can be 'tried out'.
 Ideas can be responded to by others.
 When the dynamics are right, groups provide a supportive and nurturing
environment for academic and professional endeavor.
 Group discussion skills have many professional applications.
 Working in groups is fun!

What is the process of Group discussion?

The process in which all candidates or students passed in the Written Test are divided
into groups of 10 – 12 candidates each, and every group has given particular topic or a
Case Study to discuss. The group of 10 – 12 candidates carries the entire discussion
forward on its own, and the supervising Panel neither intervenes nor participates in the
discussion. The GD is left to evolve itself while the Panel observes and assesses the
performance/ attributes all the candidates from a distance. The candidates display their
knowledge, viewpoints and exchange ideas on the given subject matter among
themselves. This happens in a dynamic situation in which every candidate wants a time
period of 25 Minutes or so. The medium of the GD almost, always, is English, though
sometimes, a choice is given to the group to speak in Hindi or English (but a majority
opts for English). For identification, either the candidates wear chest numbers or their
nameplates are displayed in front in a semicircular formation.

What s the process of selecting group discussion ? 

The Panel allows only two candidates from a particular group for selection. Occasionally,
one or three aspirants may be successful, depending on bad or good individual
performances, and on whether the level of the GD was very low or very high
respectively. Those, who hold top positions in the Written Test may have a little
advantage, but usually the WT marks are not disclosed (expect in a few MBA Entrance
tests like the Jamnalal Bajaj, Mumbai) and so nobody knows exactly where he or she
stands before the GD begins

What type subjects should be taken for discussions?

The topic for the Group-Discussion generally is from current affairs. The issues in public
domain, where different and even mutually exclusive viewpoints may co-exist, get
precedence as topics. In some entrance exams, two current affair topics to choose from
are given. The topic may also be in the form of some famous saying like, ‘Nothing
Succeeds Like Success’ or some punch line.

How many types of group discussions are there?

Normal - A topic is given to the group. The GD coordinator and the students are asked to
discuss it for duration of 15-20 minutes. A variation could be a GD where the students
are asked to decide the topic amongst them. In either case, the students will normally be
given a time of 2-3 minutes for preparation before the GD actually starts. The students
will be seated in a circular or a semi-circular pattern.

Case Study- A printed case study is given to the group and the candidates are allowed a
time limit of 3-4 minutes to read and comprehend the passage. Then the group is asked to
discuss the questions based on the case study given. Here again the students are given a
time of about 20 minutes to discuss the topic. Case studies normally pertain to standard
business situations and are full of facts and figures. Thus the GD coordinator attempts to
examine the comprehension power of a candidate along with the communication skills.

Role Play - A role-play type of GD is one where a situation is described and each person
in the group is asked to assume a specific role in a situation. In such cases, you must
completely step into the role and your reasoning will have to be consistent with role you
have assumed. The participation, in this specific case, needs to appreciate the gravity of
the situation and generate appropriate reasoning to facilitate decision making for the
group

What are the strategies of Group Discussion?  

How do you can decide your Topic?:-

1. Avoid random method while selecting a topic.

2. Selecting a topic is another way evaluators use to judge participation in Group
Discussions.
3. The evaluators give the group the task of selecting the topic and then discussing
that topic for a specified length of time.
4. Think of the most suitable approach to do it whether by all participants suggesting
topics and one selected randomly, or by participants suggesting different areas
that could be discussed and rationale given for the final selection.
5. Try and think of logical ways to select a topic as a group, setting up criteria as the
basic for consideration or selection.

Some of the criteria that you could use for selection of a topic could be:  

1. The topic should be general in nature so that all group members are able to speak
about it.
2. It should be interesting so that it motivates everyone to be involved in the
discussion.
3.  It should be topical i.e. it should be current so that it is relevant to today’s
situation.
4. It should be such that a discussion is possible i.e., at least two points of view
emerge.

How to select a Team leader? 

 
Selecting a leader is a discussion in itself. Sometimes, a group is given the task of
selecting a leader before the discussion on the topic begins.

1. Do not brush this aside as an unimportant formality since you are in a hurry to get
on with the actual topic. Selecting a leader in a group is as important as discussing
the topic.
2. The evaluators give certain weight to the process used to select the leader since
that also involves intra group dynamics.
3. A group in a hurry to select the leader often ends up making a poor choice so that
the leader and the discussion end up quite different from what they should be.
4. There are different ways to choose the leader.
5. Avoid random voting and arbitrary methods such as choosing the first member
who puts forth his name.
There should be some logic in your selection approach. One possible approach could
be:  

1. The group discusses and understands the role of a leader.

2. The qualities a leader should posses are highlighted.
3. Participants interested in becoming the leader introduce themselves and convince
the others that they posses these qualities.
4. The group then selects the most suitable candidate.
5. You may argue that there will never be enough time for this and that it will
interfere with the time available to discuss the topic. However, the process itself
gives the evaluators enough information about each candidate.

Once a leader has been selected, it would be advisable for the other participants to respect
that position and let him/her start and anchor the discussion. 

Do’s and Don’t s ? 

DOs :.

 Be determined to do well
 Listen carefully to the instructions of the panel. Do accordingly.
 Lend ears to others who make genuine contribution.
 Keep it short and simple.
 Always add value to discussion.
 Intervene positively to put GD on track.
 Conclude periodically.
 Adhere to principles of politeness.
 Substantiate and give reasons for your contentions.
 Give facts and figures but don’t overdo it.
 Have a clear- cut view.
 Be deliberate and slow in delivering your points.
 Be assertive not aggressive
 Make eye contact with your group members while you speak.
 Avoid any irritating gestures.
 Be sincere.

DONT's :
 Interrupt unnecessarily.
 Try to monopolize GD.
 Adopt a negative stance.
 Speak loudly (if not required)
 Address the panel.
  Flay your hands.
 Speak in turns.
 Talk too fast.
 Be too conscious of your body language.
 Over praise people.
 Adopt a casual look.
 Get excited

How to began and conclude group discussion? 

Beginning a discussion can put you in jeopardy or put you in command. The opening
speaker is the person who is likely to get the maximum uninterrupted time since most of
the other participants would be still trying to understand the basic issues of the topic.

If the opening speaker talks sense he/she will get the credit as he/she opened the
discussion and took the group in the right direction and vice-versa:

 He/she may be marked as a person who speaks without thinking and merely for
the sake of speaking.
 He/she may also be marked as someone who leads the group in the wrong
direction and does not make a positive contribution to the group.
 Speak first only if you have enough sensible things to say. Otherwise keep silent
and let someone else start.
 Try and summarize the discussion at the end.
 In the summary do not merely restate your point of view; also accommodate
dissenting viewpoints.
 Mention if the group did not reach a consensus. But remember do not force a
consensus unless asked to by the evaluators.
 Forcing a consensus will backfire and may end up working against you.
 It could project you as a pushy person who is not ready to analyze the issues and
is more interested in the final result.

How to jump into Group Discussion? 

It becomes difficult for most of us to get a chance to speak where a number of people are
involved and such a situation is likely to prevail during the actual GD that you participate
in. Here are some guidelines to show you how you could interject in a loud GD:  
 
1 Keep an eye on the intensity -Every GD has its highs and lows. Wait for the lows and
time your interjection then. However, it has been observed in GDs where if one waits for
the lows he/she would never speak. GDs like that are really loud – where even the lows
are very high.  
 
2 Jump only when the speaker has finished making his point-The success of our
interjection depends not only on our assertiveness but also on the receptiveness of others-

 If you interject when someone else has just begun speaking it is unlikely that he
will let you have your way and vice-versa.
 Don’t wait too long or you may lose the opportunity--remember there are only a
few minutes that you have.

3 Jump in an agreeable manner-A useful way of starting your interjection is by

supporting a point that has just been made.

 People will let you speak if they think you agree with them or you praise them.
 Try starting by saying something positive about the other person’s opinion.

4 Jump by raising your voice-The most natural way of entering when you find that
others are not listening is to raise your voice. This may not be the smartest way of
interjecting but it could work sometimes.

 You must be as loud as the situation demands.

To be effective, however, you will have to combine this tool with some of the others we
have mentioned, as it is unlikely to succeed on its own.

What are the qualities they looked for in Group discussions? 

The GD coordinator does the assessment of candidate’s performance. Normally there are
three GD coordinators and they sit in three different positions, each observing the group
and noting down the relevant aspects. The coordinators and very senior people who have
ample experience in man-management and hence they are easily able to examine the
candidates. Following are the qualities that are looked for during a GD--  
 
(A) Leadership Ability

 DRIVE, INITIATIVE AND ENTERPRISE

 ABILITY TO GIVE DIRECTION
 SHOULDERING RESPONSIBILITY
 POSITIVE INTERVENTION AND COORDINATION
 OBJECTIVITY AND GOAL FULFILLMENT

(B) Knowledge

 GRASP OF THE SUBJECT MATTER

 VALUE ADDITION
 ORGINALITY
 RANGE OF IDEAS

(C) Analytical Ablity

  USE OF ARGUMENTS, EXAMPLE AND LOGIC—HOW EFFECTIVELY
ARE THE SAME RELATED TO THE SUBJECT MATTER.

(D) Communication

 FLUENCY AND CLARITY OF THOUGHT

 PRESENTATION
 LISTENING TO OTHERS
 CONCISE AND CLEAR-CUT VIEWPOINTS
 CONVICTION
 BODY LANGUAGE

(E) Group Behavior

 PERSUASIVE ABILITY
 TO CARRY PEERS ALONG
 TO BE ABLE TO GET ALONG WITH THE GROUP

The panel may also assess you in terms of negative attributes like extremism in views,
use of foul & abusive language, not following the instructions, aggressive body language
etc.

How you can ruin your Group Discussion? 

If you are hell bent upon ruining your GD we provide with some useful tips:

Start shouting right from the beginning. This way you can make sure that no one gets a
chance to speak anything. Also, you should make sure that if someone else also shouts,
you should make aggressive and threatening gestures. A fist can be useful.

Keep changing your stand continuously.

Always contradict what others have to say.

Maintain a sardonic smile on your face throughout the GD. This way you will be able to
tell the examiners that you are much superior to the other members of the group.

Ask some other members of the group to shut up.

Use your pet words like “Yaar” etc. This will lend a touch of ethnic elegance to the whole
affair.

Laugh loudly and heartily. This shows that you are jolly person.

Point out the errors of others and make fun of them.

Keep yawning from time to time. Maintain a blank look on your face.

GD Topic for Discussions?

Hindi should replace English as a link language

      For

1. Hindi is spoken/understood by a majority of the population of our country

whereas English is spoken/understood by a limited section of educated people.
So, for mass communication purposes, Hindi would be better suited in the context
of national integration.

2 Hindi has its roots in Sanskrit like most other Indian languages. Hence learning
Hindi would be easier than learning English, which is a foreign language.

      Against

1. Hindi cannot function as a link language as effectively as English because most of

the educational literature especially in the fields of science and technology is
available in English only.
2. Most people in non-Hindi speaking states feel that emergence of Hindi reduces
the importance of their own language. In their view, since English is the lingua
franca of the world, its total replacement by Hindi would cut India off from the
rest of the World

Some other Topics for Group discussion are as follows:-

 Public sector is more a hindrance than help to promote socialism.
 Economic betterment of the poorer nations is as important as disarmament to
ensure lasting world peace.
 From public sector to privatization as in the U.K., is the right answer for India’s
instant economic breakthrough.
 The doctrine of “limited nuclear war” is an ill-convinced, ill-logical, irrational and
extremely dangerous concept.
 Some simple but effective electoral reforms will enable us to retain the present
parliamentary system and ensure the preservation of democracy in India.
 We must have only two national parties to contest parliamentary elections and
regional parties should not be allowed to contest for the same.
 We can increase our food production not only to match our population explosion
but also for export provided we adopt modern, mechanized farming methods with
large size land holdings.
 Nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.
 Private enterprise and not public sector will contribute to faster and higher
economic growth in India.
 Inflation is inevitable in our developing country.
 The policy of reservation is a legacy of the British and it has done more harm than
good. 
 Do you think MBAs are useful in the manufacturing / production department?
 For a marketing post graduate, without prior work experience working in a big
marketing firm is
 a disadvantage when compared with working in a small firm. Discuss.
 Consumerism is destroying the social fabric of Indian culture.
 Free market is a prerequisite for growth.
 Cricket as a national obsession is a detriment to other sports.
 To develop India has to empower women.
 Formulate the government’s health policy to control the spread of AIDS.
 Advertising is a waste of resources.
 Privatization will lead to less corruption.
 State is the biggest violator of human rights.
 There can never be a classless society.
 Beauty pageants are a marketing gimmick.
 Voting rights to illiterates in India is illogical because it is widely misused.
 Joint family is a blessing in disguise.
 Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it.
 The weaker sex is the weakness of the stronger sex.
 Women cannot successfully combine both career and home.
 Women are good managers.
 Executive should be allowed to form unions.
 Effect of liberalization on poverty.
 Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups.
 Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they?
 Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense.
 Political parties have outlived their utility.
 Is Swadeshi relevant for India today?
 Money is required to earn more money.
 Foreign trade is necessary for any country to survive .
 Presidential Vs Parliamentary form of government of India.
 Technology: The Ism’ Of The New Millennium?
 Religion And Politics Should Not Mix
 TRIPS Controversy And The Patent Act Amendment
 Export Stagnation: Causes And Cures
 Excessive Depiction Of Sex And Violence In Films
 Classical Music Heritage And The Growing Pop- Culture
 Decentralisation & The Panchayati Raj Institutions
 Should India Sign The CTBT
 State Interventions In Market Kind Or Mixed Economy
 Science Is A Boon Or Bane
 Is Swapping Terrorists For Hostages An Encouragement For Plane-Hijackers?
 India and the political dynasties: The Nehru Family context
 Nice Guys Finish Last
 All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy
 Individual Freedom And Civil Society
 Conventionalism And Modernity: The Ever going Debate
 Should There Be A Restriction On Permissiveness Being propagated by The
MTV Culture And Foreign Media?
 Marxism And Its Future All Over The World
 The Growing Menace Of Casteism And Regionalism
 Presidential Form Of Government Is Needed In India
 Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy?
 Capitation Fees Should Be Abolished
 Arranged Marriages Are Better Than The Love-Marriages
 Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped
 Business And Ethics Can’t / Don’t Go Together
 Are women As good as Men Or Inferior?
 Nothing Succeeds Like Success
 The Malthusian Economic Prophecy Is No Longer Relevant
 Secessionism In The North-East: Who’s To Blame?
 Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan?
 Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent
 ‘East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is’: Mark Twain
 Freedom Of _Expression And The State Authority.
 Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished
 Tuitions Should Be Banned
 India Needs Gujral Doctrine For Better International Relations
 Doctors’ Accountability To Improve Health-Care
 Universal Disarmament Is A Must
 Indian Cricket Team Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Play Abroad