Group 

Discussion

As you fill up a form for admission to an MBA institute or hear that a good company is coming
to your college for campus recruitment, you think about the group discussion that you will have
to clear to reach the next round of Personal Interview. Here are the answers to the questions you
might have at this stage:

Why do companies or institutes conduct Group Discussion?

Companies or institutes conduct GD to find out the intelligent and smart candidates who have a
sound knowledge and personal skills to handle any situation.

What traits do they look for in a candidate during the Group Discussion?

During the GD the candidates are evaluated for the following traits:

 Knowledge base.
 Alertness and presence of mind
 Communication
 Confidence
 Leadership
 Listening Skills
 Team Skills
 Goal Orientation

How should I prepare for the Group Discussion?

Your preparation for GD has to be broken down into two parts:

Subject knowledge: Your subject knowledge during the GD can’t be replaced by anything else.
Read voraciously on all subjects to have good ideas. Following could be your sources of
information:

 News Papers
 Magazines
 News Portals
 TV

As you read, keep taking down the points on different subjects.

Developing soft skills

Along side your subject knowledge you will have to develop your soft skills to carry yourself out
properly during the GD. This needs a work on your communication skills, listening skills, body
gestures.

How do I improve my communication skills?

Good communication would ensure that you are able to put across your ideas in a short time
during the limited time. It will also ensure that the group remains supportive to you.

To improve your communication skills, read books on communication and general subjects. This
will improve your vocabulary and give you ideas to speak effectively. Pick up good phrases and
use them in your day to day discussion with friends and colleagues. Be polite in your
conversation and let the other person finish speaking before you take up. Disagreeing politely is
an art which you must have. You can use phrases like:
I am sorry but I think I disagree with you a bit here, I have a slightly different opinion here, you
have a good point but I think there’s another facet also to it.

Read loudly at times to make your pronunciation and voice clear.

Can I speak in a regional language during the Group Discussion?

No. In a GD you are expected to speak in English only.

For

- Indian Villages where actual India lives is our greatest strength.

- We all who are living in metropolitan cities are dependent on them for our living.
- India is an agricultural country and 70% of the population who are engaged in this profession are living
in villages.
- Many of us who are now living in metropolitan cities are originally coming from villages.
- All the well known names like Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal, Dhiru Bhai Ambani etc who have made a
mark in the world have also come from the Indian villages.
- There are many talented and bright minds in Indian villages who have the capability to change the face
of India.
- Villages are backbone of India without them India might have to face food shortage. All other
industries are also dependent on villages for their raw materials
- The production units of any big company are found at some small places owing to the low cost of
infrastructure and abundance of labour.

Against

- The level of education in Indian villages is very low.

- There are less number of job opportunities in villages.
- As the whole word is technologically advanced but Indian villages are still lacking in this area.

Our Indian villages can be our greatest strength if the rural markets and the kind of talent available there
are capitalized in a proper way. Government should take steps in order to improve the condition of
Indian villages because the development in Indian villages will change the face of India.

India needs a strong dictator

Against

 India being a strong democratic country doesn’t really need a dictator. It may just lead to
disruption.
 India is a big country. People live in harmony and are known for their unity. A dictator
may not be able to maintain this.
 Few people may again misunderstand dictatorship and may think it defies the purpose of
freedom.
 Dictatorship may bring very short term changes. A country needs a strong government.
 Dictatorship may introduce communal differences depending on the community of the
dictator.
 Human rights can be certainly bypassed.
 It may lead to disorganization and malfunctioning of the law and order system of the
country.

For

 A dictator can easily help us get rid of the dirt in politics.

 A very small community of people actually understands the meaning of democracy and
don’t make misuse of it.
 For over decades, India is trying to get rid of poverty, may be, a dictator can help in this
aspect.
 A dictator can help the citizens realize the meaning of democracy and freedom.

Whether a country has a dictator or not, freedom of speech and rights is what matters to any
citizen. It is a myth that smaller countries usually need dictatorship. We cannot forget the smaller
country has the same human species with the same human rights as in other countries.

Technology Creates Income Disparities

Technology is taking us places and in the modern world scenario it is a boon rather than bane but as far
as income disparity is concerned it cuts a sorry figure of our government’s insufficiency and its policy
crisis. Is technology the real reason behind income disparity?
For

- Technology is uniformly distributed throughout the country, but urban areas are far ahead in
technology. Thus more technology results in more employment and more income, thus the difference
between the urban areas and the rural areas.
- There is a major cut down in the employment charts as technology reduces the dependency on
manpower which is favorable to an organization(as it leads to more profit) but it makes lot of people
lose their jobs.
- This brings in light the difference between the rural and urban people as the urban people have the
knowledge about technology, making them the obvious choice of selection by organizations.
- Not only does it results in economic inequalities but also social ones. Individuals with high income are
given more respect and are looked upon with high esteem in our society.
- Companies opt only for those who are technically sound, further demoralizing other individuals and
pointing to some gaping holes in the Indian education system.

Against

- Technology can be used to provide better education and understanding of its applications, making it an
effective tool for every individual.
- Technology teaches an easier way of doing things effectively and efficiently.
- More sources are utilized thus creating more employment. Technology also gives rise to new
innovations and it helps in various discoveries.
- It plays a pivotal role in developing a country’s economy and also their mind-sets.
- Technology gives a man power to be equivalent to a machine.
- Inhouse technology helps in getting the country name and fame on international platform.
- Improvement in technology today means less dependence on other countries in future.

Technology works as a catalyst in the growth of a country, it bridges the income gap between the poor
and the rich by creating employment opportunities but due to the less use of technology in India it is
seen as an income disparity. In this modern world where ‘Time is Money’, makes one’s life simple. Thus
technology does not create income disparity rather helps in removing it.

Dos and Don’ts of participating in Group Discussion

Dos of participating in a GD:

 Listen to the subject carefully

 Put down your thoughts on a paper
 Initiate the discussion if you know the subject well
 Listen to others if you don’t know the subject
 Support you point with some facts and figures
  Make short contribution of 25-30 seconds 3-4 times
 Give others a chance to speak
 Speak politely and pleasantly. Respect contribution from other members. 
 Disagree politely and agree with what is right. 
 Summarize the discussion if the group has not reached a conclusion. 

Don’ts of participating in a Group Discussion 

 Initiate the discussion if you do not have sufficient knowledge about the given topic.
 Over speak, intervene and snatch other’s chance to speak.
 Argue and shout during the GD
 Look at the evaluators or a particular group member
 Talk irrelevant things and distract the discussion
 Pose negative body gestures like touching the nose, leaning back on the chair, knocking
the table with a pen etc.
 Mention erratic statistics.
 Display low self confidence with shaky voice and trembling hands.
 Try to dominate the discussion

Most of the offences and injustice today are on women. The victims are not just adults but also
infants and old women.

For

 There is no valid point till date which makes any women unequal in comparison to a
man.
 Giving reservation to women would give them encouragement. They would not be
recognized in society as mere “domestic” workers.
 Reservation should not be given to treat them superior; it should be given to help people
understand that they are equal. This is because, few communities in India still believe in
“female foeticide”. Little do they know that it’s a woman that delivers a man!

Against

 If women need to do something for the society and country, there is no need for
reservation.
 Instead of concentrating on reservation, the society can be improved by concentrating on
other ethical issues.
 There have been many great and famous women in politics that did what they could for
society. They didn’t any special reservation!
 Women may undoubtedly take advantage of reservation to defend themselves.

Although reservations should be encouraged and Like they say “Great powers come with great
responsibility”, it should become a moral responsibility of women to not misuse the same.
Former Bollywood actresses should make a come back to the industry.

For:

- Former actresses were a classy act, they were more eager to perform as compared to the
actresses present today.

- They were bold but didn’t believe in showing off their skin to promote a film.

- They had the charm that mesmerized the audience, which in turn increased the popularity of
cinema.

- Privileges as compared to today were not provided to them and as a result most of them faded
into the oblivion.

Against

- Former actresses have had their share of fame and now its time for the younger

- generation to excel and have their share under the spotlight.

- Today the actresses are not afraid to shed their clothes to make a movie work. They are way
bolder than the former actresses.

- Today the actresses are more daring and are not afraid to take the path less used. They would do
roles which the former actresses would not want to do.

- The movies that are being made today are not ethical for the former actresses to act in.

hould English be banned in Indian Parliament!

There is a big roar for banning addressals in English in Parliament. Is it English that is keeping us behind?
or Is it just an issue to divert from many other core and burly issues?

For

Developed countries like Germany, China, France etc. which use mother tongue adequately have shown
remarkable growth at all fronts. They are deeply united and exemplify the significance of use of a
mother tongue. Those who think for its ban can see enough fodder in it to put their voice loud in their
favor.

Against

India has been diversified since its inception and practicing various languages. We have got different
religions living and different languages spoken. We can't be forced now to follow one language as a
mother tongue and use it in parliament. All languages should be loved and encouraged. English is the
language, which the youth are looking up to. It is an important language.

India is considered as a IT-giant and for that matter English is pivotal for software savvy youths, so
refraining English speaking MPs from parliament would be a wrong signal to the world.

If we really resolve to bring about change in the current arrangement, we should use the system that UN
delegates follow. They speak their own languages from the world over during meetings with an
interpreter doing the necessary translation. This system would ensure that all MPs can eloquently
express their views during a discussion.

English is a necessity in a globalized work environment. Hindi or other languages can be promoted at the
regional level; but this should not be done at the expense of English.

What’s better - A traditional Bachelor’s degree or a professional course at UG

level?
Once a student is out of school, he/ she finds himself/ herself at a crossroad of careers wanting them to
decide the course they would take up at under graduate level. With a plethora of professional and
academic UG courses available these days, the decision making becomes all the more difficult. Some
people feel it is best to get into a professional course while others think that a traditional degree would
polish the knowledge in all the basic fields. Each set of people has its own arguments. Let us see what
they have got to say:

Professional degree gives your career a quick start

- A professional course provides a student detailed knowledge about his area of interest and helps him
build a strong foundation for the career he wants to pursue.
- If you have already decided the area of your interest, studying wide range of topics will be useless as
you won’t be using them in your real life. Studying them is a wastage of time.
- A professional course gives the students a clear idea about the expectations of the industry. A
professional course would produce a specialised market-valued fresher.
- Students pursuing professional UG courses with some diploma or certificate course stand a better
chance of getting into the PG courses of their choice.

Traditional bachelor degree widens your scope and knowledge

- The traditional bachelor degree needs the students to study a wide variety of topics which are useful
not just in professional life but are also useful in personal life. They enable a person to think from
different perspectives.
- The scope for a student in PG courses is wider if he passes out his graduation with a traditional degree.
- People usually choose between traditional and specialised courses with money as their yardstick. In a
hurry to start earning quickly, they take up professional courses but an early bird need not necessarily
fare well in career. There exists a difference between quick earning and good earning.
- The choice of course should be based on interest in a particular subject and not its earning potential.
- Rather than wanting to start earning right after UG, the students should aim to specialise in their PG
and take up some paid internships which will further increase their value in the market.

Although the Indian mentality leans towards how quickly can money be made while selecting the course
to be pursued - the choice of course to pursue is personal depending on the long term goals, interest,
potential, time factor and financial resources.

No doubt India economic is slumping down with dollar on escalator, rupees on ventilator and price of
each commodity shooting up. In last 4 months, rupee has gone down by 15% and there seems to be no
immediate scope for its recovery. RBI has taken some steps to stem further fall but those are temporary
remedy and we still have no idea and plan for perennial solution. Our government had promised to
shackle the price rise within 100 days of taking charge in the centre. It’s now barely 100 days left for
next election and government has no clue how to control the prices.

Our Manufacturing sector is still growing at a low rate; none of the social welfare schemes have reached
the poor, and the omnipresent corruption is getting fatter with each year.

All these issues have erupted and onus was on government to control lapses if not fully solve. But there
is no show of governance, had it been we would have noticed some blooming areas at least.

1. As election is approaching, our government has started showing concerns for poor by the way of
freebies through Food bill. In the food bill policy, they say that about 70% of India’s population will be
benefited and that too at the cost of public exchequer. If 70% of our population is still struggling for
Food and is in dire need of Food Bill Policy after 66 years of independence, then it is not lack of
governance but no governance.

2. Inspite of such a large population base, we are still in a position where we import a lot of products
from other countries. Proper governance means proper planning and implementation which if had been
done would have resulted in a lot of small industries making India self sufficient.

3. A decent export of goods could have given a major boost to earnings while the value of dollar rose but
unfortunately we have never tried to boost our export which is again a lack of foresightedness and
planning in governance.

The medium of teaching in schools should be English.

Hemant Sharma 12-29-2011 04:31 AM
English is the language of computers, conversation, and business and most importantly, the
language, the world speaks. The bottom line is that teaching English to kids is vital for their
future and their growth and for that we need to start now.

For-
- If it is not, the students will find it hard to move around and settle in other states and countries.
- It enhances the chances of success globally by adding value to one’s personality.
- English being a universal language is spoken in every city and part of the world.
- It drives business across the world. It is a language of processing and understanding.
- It is a great asset when competing for business from other countries.
- Lack of fluency in English can be a huge hindrance in the future.
- Ability to Indians to communicate fluently in English is one of the major reasons of IT being
such a successful industry in India.

Against-

- Language is a direct connection to culture, making English the medium of education would
deteriorate this culture.
- Learning in your mother tongue is the easiest way of understanding and expressing.
- Freedom of speech doesn’t allow English to become the official teaching language in schools.
- Language should not be barrier in one’s progress.
- Learning multiple languages not only maintains diversity but also forms a sense of respect for
the language spoken.

There can be innumerable reasons for English to become the medium of teaching in schools.
English being beneficial increases one’s chances of success as there are more opportunities. But
importance of the mother tongue can’t be denied; rather conscious effort must be made to ensure
that it is not marginalized.

The food security bill aims to provide subsidised food grains to the poor people. The food security bill
was passed on Monday by the Lok Sabha worth $20 billion.

For:

- With the amendment of this act the food grains will be available on a cheaper rate specially at ration
shops, which would be beneficial for the poor people
- After much debating between the parties, the consensus was arrived on making the law universal
- The foremost goal to get this act passed was to eradicate hunger and mal – nutrition in our country

Against:

- Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj stated that the current law is “half - baked and weak“and once they
are empowered with the rights, they would improve the law. This statement of hers clearly shows the
disparity between the various parties.
- The bill being proposed just a few months before the 2014 elections will definitely bring in certain
electoral benefits to Sonia Gandhi (Congress Party)
- Each and every party has its own say, and a lot of disparity amongst the thinking of each opposition
party leader, which will create more chaos rather than helping the poor as well as the general public

Conclusion:

- The food security bill was first introduced in the year 2009, and now it has been passed by the lok
sabha just before a few months of 2014 election.
- This could definitely be an election gimmick as with this strategy the parties could get vote from the
poor people.

In simple terms inflation is the rise in price of commodities and low purchases.

Causes and effects

 Inflation is caused when there is too much demand is more for goods or too much money
in circulation.
 Inflation affects the entire economy of the nation.
 A drop in exchange rate, increase in tax or wages can lead to inflation.
 An increase in the quantity of money supply can cause inflation.

Controlling inflation

 Depending on what caused inflation, policies should be implemented. For instance if the
cause was excessive demand for commodities, it should be reduced.
 Production costs can be reduced.
 Banks can increase interest rates to avoid circulation of money in excess.
 Trying to maintain a stable and fixed currency rate.
 The supply of gold to the amount sold or output should be stable.
 The percentage of inflation can be measured using the consumer price index. It is a
measure for price change based on production of goods.

Should the Opinion polls be banned?

India is world's largest democracy, the seventh-largest country by area and the second-most populous
country with over 1.2 billion people yet we have been maintaining and enjoying the prowess of
democracy since its inception and have been an example and benchmark for the world.

It is our right to voice our opinion freely and openly. Is it democratic to put any constraints to Opinion
polls? Is it good for democracy? Will it enrich our democracy? Will it be a serious breach to freedom of
speech?

For
Opinion polls have been in practice since long time and across the world. It is now customary for all the
news channels to show the political survey before the actual poll. No one can deny that it has pitfalls
and no polls have come close to the actual result. Its authenticity is definitely under a question mark
when it is far from actual result. In principle, it is justified to ban as it influences the voters to some
extent.

Against

Most of the highly successful and powerful economies of the world have given this right to their people.
Why are we shying away? Although the opinion polls can't show the fact but this kind of surveys have
their merits. The political parties should take it on their stride and if survey is against someone that
means more work is expected to turn the tide.

We have economic surveys being conducted on several areas and policies are made based on the results
of those surveys. Poll surveys should be taken in the same way. There can be manipulations in opinion
poll surveys but then every survey can be influenced to certain degree, Can we block all of them?

Opinion Polls have become integral part for news channels and all of them are trying hard to come close
to actual result. Showing any manipulated data would back fire the channel. Voters are influenced by
the work done by the party and not by any survey. Had it been the case, despite the trends were against
BJP in Gujarat in 2002 and 2007 in all the opinion polls, people have given a clear mandate to BJP in the
state. This kind of survey have been boon for the people as it allows the political party to take cue from
the survey and act upon to improve the tally.

Conclusion

Instead of heated debate for its banning, the parties should see through its positive aspect, take steps to
rectify the shortcoming within themselves and come strong in the ground of political battle at the time
of election.

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