WAT Topics – Last 5 Years

IIM Ahmedabad

 Author claimed that the Cursive Handwriting practiced in early childhood days in school is of no
use and is a waste of time in this Tech-Savvy world these days. He suggested the schools to
focus more on sports, music and other creative activities and advocated for Introduction of
Technology in Writing.
 All news anchors are the same. There is no real news anywhere. They invite guests on their
shows and ask aggressive question like, "In a country where leaders like Gandhi Ji lead their lives
for the country, you are talking about potholes". They try to sensationalize every issue. Govt.
should control media as soon as possible.
 Development in metro cities is resulting in broken families and making people insensitive
toward one another.
 A passage about CSR Activity, indirectly stating that smoking and alcohol companies should not
do CSR as it is just an eye wash.
 School uniform should not be made compulsory as school cannot decide what to wear. Also, it
restricts the individual thinking so at first place uniforms in school should be removed.
 India's middle class is growing rapidly with 29% in 2015 to 44% in 2025 according to a McKinsey
report. Discuss its implications on the economy and society.
 Mobile phones are invading our lives and reducing human interaction.
 Ragging breaks barriers between juniors and seniors. Ragging also makes colleges culturally
unique. Therefore ordinance banning ragging is bad and should be reversed to preserve identity
of the college.
 Technology impacts how children think and feel. They tend to think superficially and lose
creativity. The ones who spend too much time online tend to lose focus. So they should be kept
away from technology till they are 12 years old. We had to take stand for or against it and
explain.
 Political parties are increasingly using social media platforms to target and influence specific set
of people. The argument was that it created a level playing field for everyone, and that it is
overall good for humanity. We had to identify the claims made by the author, the line of
reasoning, and also analyse if the argument was strong/weak and provide reasons for the same.
 Money is very important in present world and it can buy you happiness. It does not matter how
that money is earned because irrespective of the source of its generation, you can use it in
myriad of ways to fulfill your needs and wishes. People who deny this fact do so to hide their
inability to earn more. Money can give your children education in prestigious colleges and can
help you enjoy exotic vacations. If you earn good money, you can even retire early from your job
and enjoy a good life ahead.
 The "#MeToo" campaign has been quite an exaggerated one. It is ruining the foundations of our
society and worsening the current situation regarding trust on men. These allegations on men,
who were respected in the society otherwise, could be disregarded until these numbers become
sensational.
 The Kannada Development Authority recently protested against the conducting of a Staff
Selection Commission recruitment exam in Karnataka and Kerala to fill the posts of clerks,
assistants and data entry operators as the exam was conducted only in English and Hindi. The
KDA felt that it would put the local aspirants at a disadvantage as they wouldn't be able to
attempt it in their mother tongue. SSC countered by saying that the jobs being central
government based, would be subject to transfer to other states, where they would be at a
disadvantage. The conducting of a language test before moving to other states is not feasible.
Hence candidates should know Hindi to attempt the test.
 Cleanliness is something which the western world follows out of ethics and an efficient waste
management system. While some other countries follow it due to imposition of draconian laws.
India follows neither- and hence the leads to unhygienic public places. Children follow the
cleanliness only if they are taught about it. What India needs is a proper civic education system.
But who will impart this lesson? The schools and teachers are neither interested nor are willing
to take up the challenge. It seems impossible that cleanliness will be taught to students. We
should stop hoping for a Clean India.
 The topic presented to us an argument about how we should not care about the environment as
once we have reached the pinnacle of our development we can take care of it anyway.
 Topic was based on ‘Chalta Hai attitude of Indians’.
 A Case study on a Beverage Company’s Cola drink. There were strong allegations against the
company for using acids above the permissible limits set by foreign authorities in their Kola
drink. Whereas there were no such permissible limits set by any governing bodies in India. Due
to a high level of acidity in the drink, children were suffering from illness…etc.. You are the
Marketing Manager, who is on leave for 2 days to look after your daughter who is sick, might be
because of drinking the same Cola drink. As a Marketing Manager, how would you handle this
situation after joining back? What would be your plan of action?
 Something on a pedestrian accident and analyzing the relevance of a measure introduced to
prevent its recurrence.
 A brief passage regarding the inappropriateness of GDP as a measure of a country’s welfare
followed by a few questions seeking views on the correctness of this claim. (250-300 words in 20
minutes)
 A case study on freedom of expression. Should there be limits or not?
 IITians are offered subsidy for their education and it is taxpayers’ money. They end up taking
management jobs and hence it is a wasteful expenditure on them. Write the claim of the author,
whether you agree or not and why?
 It was a passage about how social media and internet reflect the ideas and behavior that our
society reflects and identifies with. The passage mentioned about a fictional character on twitter
with the name ‘Pakalu Papito’ has so many followers on twitter and retweets, even more than
 most of the celebrities. How he tweets mostly about money and his tweets portray an
exhausted and demotivated guy. His huge following means that he strikes a chord with the
world. So, this implies that our society is also demotivated and exhausted. Hence we can
conclude that we have no future as a society.

 What will you do if you become the Prime Minister of India?

 The argument given to us was on the workweek which is 5 working days and 2 holidays currently
and how it is beneficial to switch to a 3-1-2-1 workweek.
 A case study on replacing all the cars with self-driving cars due to advancement in algorithm
based technology - We were supposed to critically analyse the author’s assumptions and point
out merits/faults in author’s suggestion.
 Non violence in today’s world.
 People nowadays tend to lead rather than work. Write your views about it in 200 words.
 We had been given a long statement on how tourism leads to corruption of societal
values/morals etc., and that it should be restricted to certain parts of the year. We had to give
our own analysis, support and weaken the argument, consider the assumptions made and think
what other data points could help us support/weaken the argument.
 The relationships between employees and their organizations are becoming transactional in
nature. This is leading to increased stress and burnout at the workplace and a decline in
employee loyalty. Thus, to improve employee loyalty, organizations should strive to create a
better workplace environment and invest in the learning, development and well-being of their
employees.
 A case based on the views of an employee in the firm regarding a research. We had to find out
Assumptions, arguments to support and weaken the statement.

IIM Bangalore

 Something related to whether India needs more managers or more entrepreneurs.

 We were asked our opinion on women empowerment.
 Traditional rote based learning (memorization techniques) are largely replaced by modern
activity based learning system. Compare the two of them and discuss the merits and demerits of
each.
 Should AI be regulated?
 India is going to be world's most populous country in the world. What in your opinion would be
effect on agriculture and clothing.
 India's middle class is growing rapidly with 29% in 2015 to 44% in 2025 according to a McKinsey
report. Discuss its implications on the economy and society.
 Media and advertising have promoted Zero figure of young models. This has a negative impact
on the health of young girls. What ways would you suggest to tackle this problem?
 IMF Chief economist pointed out that farm loan waiver is not a solution to the farmer distress in
India. Explain the situation in light of recent election manifesto.
 Universal Basic Income has been in the news recently. What would be the challenges in
implementing such a scheme in India?
 “Political correctness is curbing the expression of true feelings. Discuss.”
 Countries such as UAE and Bhutan have happiness index to oversee social welfare programmes
for the well being of citizens. One Indian state has also created a ministry of happiness.
Comment on this development.
 What does the Cashless economy mean for poor in India?
 The number of women studying graduate sciences has increased 5 fold in the last 60 years.
However the number of women holding faculty positions in the graduate science institutions is
only 15%. What according to you are the reasons for the same? What can be done to improve
the situation and increase the number of women faculty?
 Discrimination is not learnt by experience, it is taught. What is your opinion about the same?
Validate with relevant examples.
 A high school survey highlights a new trend where students shun science and related stream as
a career of choice. Comment.
 Save water in Holi, give up cracker on Diwali for environment protection. Is it justified?
 Low labour cost and abundance of cheap domestic labour represents no advantage for
businesses in this world of increasing globalization.
 Over the last few years, reverse globalization is being touted as a significant macro economic
trend. Discuss the causes and consequences of the above.
 About a survey on school children where it was found out that there is a shift towards joining
private schools. We were supposed to write our views on that.
 India needs clear regulations to curb negative aspects of tourism.
 B-Schools are rising rapidly in India, but the quality of schools are not adequate. Suggest a
framework for for measuring the quality of B-Schools.
 Delhi has been in news for pollution. What could be the steps to reduce urban pollution in India
 While there is lot of branding activity in Indian market, indigenous brands are not able to make
it. Comment.
 Govt. has recently put a limit of Rs 20000 on cash donations to political parties. Do you think it
will help in curbing corruption bringing transparency in the system? What more can be done in
this regard?
 Write your opinion about whether Net Neutrality is good or bad for India.
 Modern youth is developing ‘visual intelligence’ through TV, internet and video games.
 Is social media good or bad?
 Safety of women in India can only be brought about by a change in the societal mindset.
 Primary enrollment in India is around 80+% (good number by Indian standard) but according to
a study less than 50% of 5th standard students can solve 2nd standard Maths
and English question. What are our views on this and how this problem can be solved?

IIM Calcutta

 It was on film Censorship and asked for our views in favour and against.
 On the lines of science vs mythology and science supporting mythology recently unlike past.
 Last year has been a major highlight wherein some high profile weddings too place in India.
What in your opinion are the pros and cons of big fat Indian weddings ?
 Universal Basic Income has been in the news recently. What would be the challenges in
implementing such a scheme in India?
 Discuss the gray area of the MeToo Movement. What are your views on who should be accused
and who should be believed?
 Suggest measures to improve the health indicators in a country.
 With over a billion users worldwide, mobile phones are becoming all pervasive. What will be the
impact of this? Will this be of any benefit?
 How tourism in ecologically sensitive areas is harmful and remedies with respect hill stations?
 In 2019, Indian Science Congress published various papers claiming the ancient India had
advanced scientific developments like aeroplanes, test tube babies and space exploration etc.
What is your opinion? What do you think is the reason for these claims? What future
implications will this claim have?
 Has Bollywood been instrumental in national integration in India? Your views on should cinema
aim to influence opinions of the public.
 Multimedia platforms provide scope for different types of expressions. Is this a positive trend?
Are there any inherent dangers? What is your view?
 There is poor state of secondary education in India. What are the reasons behind it and What
should be done by government to tackle this problem? (300 words – 25 mins)
 Business Management students with background in Arts like Literature or Psychology have a
natural advantage in the corporate ecosystem. Do you agree or not?
 Opinions on flexible time at a workplace.
 Vertical development of cities is better than the unorganized and unstructured horizontal
growth. What do you think?
 Waste dumping and garbage disposal into the oceans are affecting them adversely. What do you
think are the consequences we may face? Suggest solutions to this problem (300 words, 25
minutes).
 Twisted lines around Euthanasia.
 PM Modi launched the scheme ‘Khelo India’ to promote sports in India. What are the problem
of sports in India and suggest ways to improve them. (25 mins).
 What were the pros and cons of GST?
 In the light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the right of privacy, express your views on
Aadhaar?
 Freedom of speech is important in a democratic nation. How does a corrupt media impact?
What is your take on this?
 In recent months, many governments are banning the sale of alcohol in the states? Analyse the
above decision and state both pros and cons? (20 Mins)
 Psychologists assume that we are all generous by nature. But in this consumer oriented world, it
is more about getting rather than giving. Do you agree, give reasons?
 People think that our education system is not ready for 21st century.
 Article 21 of the constitution gives us the right to live our own life with dignity. An NGO wants to
extend it to right to die with dignity.Will you support its claim? Give your views.
 Is it justifiable for countries to spend huge sum of money on space research?

 Global warming has adverse effects on all species on the planet. Should we migrate to another
planet? If no, suggest measures to mitigate the disaster.
 TV Serials have started showing Indian Mythology. Are they an effective way to spread
awareness about Indian Mythology?
 Reasons for Intolerance issue, with examples.
 Something related to cinema and culture.
 Law Enforcement Directorate has proposed to decriminalize attempt to suicide. Do you support
it or not? Explain.
 Allowing limited usage of performance-enhancing drugs in sports - pros and cons.
 Everyday 368 people die in road accidents in India. What are the measures you will take to
improve upon this situation?
 Students want to be admitted to institutes of national importance like IITs and IIMs more for the
pay packages involved rather than the educational prospective. What is your opinion about this?
Justify your opinion and what led you to decide the same?
 Impact of FDI through ‘Make in India’ on Indian economy and a common man.

IIM Lucknow

 Politicians are not respected anymore. Comment.

 Sports is a better career than management.
 US China trade war is not a zero sum game.
 Are bullet trains really needed in India?
 Glass ceiling still exists.
 Is intelligence hereditary?
 Greed is good. (Time limit: 20 mins)?
 There needs to be more spending on primary education compared to university, in India.
 Artificial Intelligence - The future or just a buzz?
 There should be no mandatory attendance in B-Schools.
 It’s high time that the Indian government shifts its focus from manufacturing sector to the
agricultural sector.
 Happiness is a state of mind.
 Right to Information(RTI) Act should be applicable to Political Parties and Media.
 Political parties should be funded by state and not by industrialists or public donations.
 There is no wrong time to do the right thing.
 India is a hot bed for technological breakthroughs and innovations due to its regional diversity.
 Subsidy to IITs and NITs is a waste of tax payers money.
 Should Happiness Index be used in place of GDP as an indicator of economic progress?
 Non violence has lost its relevance today.
 With greater risks come greater successes.
 Has the world politics taken a right wing turn? (15 minutes)
 Topic was UN is a failed organization.
 Taking risks can either result in great profits or losses
 Should India continue with the space missions when there is so much poverty around?
 Highly intelligent students have difficult time at B-schools.
 Entrepreneurs can learn some things only from other entrepreneurs.

IIM Indore

 A number of governments in the past have proposed various schemes and measures to improve
the condition of farmers. However, 70 years after Independence the plight of farmers is the
same. Suggest a few measures to alleviate the suffering of farmers in India.
 Artificial intelligence is taking over jobs. What are your views on this? Give examples to support
your points (300 words, 30 minutes)
 'Discipline should be taught by giving duties and responsibilities rather than framing rules and
regulations'.
 Indian education system focus on only academic excellence not social, emotional and
psychological development.
 Fear of missing out has led to higher online activity. Do you think it has resulted in people being
more lonely?
 It is often seen that if you ban a certain activity, you are increasing the likelihood of that activity
being carried out underground. The same argument is being debated to legalize marijuana in
Universities. Do you agree or disagree?

 Every year 10 million Indian youth add up into working population, but most of the youth is
unskilled and is unable to cope up with technological advancement in the world. What skills,
according to you, should be imparted to the youth under the skill development programs?
 Unethical practices by doctors are increasing . Provide some solutions to improve the current
scenario.
 It is better for old people to live in retirement homes away from rush of city. Do advantages of
living in retirement homes outweigh the disadvantages?
 How ease of doing business ranking is created? What is your opinion on India regarding ease of
doing business? What government can do to improve ease of doing business in India?
 What do you think about the rising rates of pollution in India? Discuss in detail, enumerating
causes and ways to combat the same (300 words, 30 minutes)
 Marketing is responsible for creation of new segments in the industry. What are your views on
this?
 Poor quality of education in government schools (30 min 300 words).
 Can today's advertisement be accused for misleading the society or not?
 Indian women are getting educated in increasing scale, but women in the work force haven’t
increased in that proportion? According to you what are the causes for this and what steps are
needed to remove this imbalance?
 India's youth is going towards distance learning rather than normal college courses. Discuss
challenges and benefits.
 What can government do to tackle garbage disposal issue in major Indian cities? How can
citizens help government for the same?
 Economic growth and environmental protection are mutually exclusive. Is it possible to achieve
one without negatively affecting the other. Give your thoughts on this.

 Subjects such as humanities aren’t given attention as science takes the limelight. However
companies look for a broad base education in their employees. How can universities devise
courses to make students more employable?
 Supreme court decided to have National anthem sung in movie theaters. Does this promotes
patriotism? Is it the only way to promote patriotism what is your opinion?
 Impact of Facebook and Twitter in our lives.

 Economic growth and environmental protection are mutually exclusive. Is it possible to achieve
one without negatively affecting the other. Give your thoughts on this.
 Kids in Indian Metros do not know languages other than Hindi and English. Should they learn
their mother tongue, along with other Indian languages? Give your arguments.

IIM Kozhikode

 Capitalism is slowly and inevitably leading to mankind’s extinction.

 Should India restrict entry of foreign companies in India or should it regulate the entry?
 Should the government give preference to Indian companies such as Flipkart, Ola to give them
an advantage over foreign companies?
 MeToo Movement has become propaganda in for women to accuse their male counterpart in
the workplace. Discuss.
 Our progress will lead us to our extinction.
 De-urbanization is the need of the hour.
 Religion and Politics are inseparable.
 In case of a conflict, the constitutional laws should always prevail over the personal laws in
India.
 Threat to secularism is overrated.
 Difference between selection criteria of Supreme Court judges in India and the United States.
 Should companies just focus on profit maximization?
 Data privacy is secondary to internet related growth.
 Machine learning will take our jobs.
 When it comes to business, greed is good.
 The Volkswagen Scandal.
 With increasing unemployment, India should ban all its efforts on self-driving cars.
 Should India focus on Smart Cities when 30 crores of its citizens are still without electricity?
 The only way to conquer what you fear, is by doing it over and over again.
 Corruption has been prevalent since the beginning of human civilization. Hence, there's no point
in trying to stop corruption.
 History has taught us enough. Now we must learn our own modern day lessons.
 Higher education is a guarantor of better pay and prospects.
 The government should not bail-out national banks even in case of bankruptcy.
 Money is yours, but resources belong to the society.
 Should India finance its infrastructure through Internal finances or external borrowings?
 The world is literally made up of the stories we tell. If we want to change the world, we need to
change the stories we tell.
 The sole responsibility of companies is to make profits.
 Doing something right saves time better than explaining doing something wrong.
 Right to Privacy is in danger in India.
 Should India have Presidential form of government?
 Private sectors promotes employee’s ability and public sector promotes employment.
 How important is the role of a leader in a business organisation?
 Is population of India an asset or liability?
 Strength does not come from physical capacity. It is derived from an indomitable will.
 Ethics and business don’t go together.
 Education is the progressive discovery of our own negligence.
 Something on the lines of environment protection and the need to save human species/Earth.
 Individual incentives are better than team based incentives in an organization.
 Govt. providing subsidies and its advantages and disadvantages for the whole country.
 Digital India and its changing dynamics.
 Future Wars will be fought over Air and Water instead of Economic Wealth and Patriotism.
 Individual vs. Group Appraisal system in any company.
 Who is responsible for the lack of safety of women in India?

IIM Shillong

 The case was an ethical dilemma about whether a person can share a software he uses as a part
of his job to his friend who will benefit by using the software.
 A driver with 15-year work experience and good behavior was promoted as a personal driver of
Managing director of a large public sector company. On a day, after a long tiring trip, he took the
vehicle to his own house rather than parking it at the office, which was against office norms. On
that very day, he killed an 8-year-old girl who was crossing road hastily. The driver tried to save
that girl but it all happened so quickly, that he could not save her. He was taken to custody but
was later released from the law of land due to lack of enough evidence. Now you are managing
director of the company. Decide what course of action you would take keeping that fact that
taking office vehicle to home was against companies rules and regulations?
 It was a case discussion. Legal and ethical perspectives were mentioned during the discussion
regarding a corporate scandal.
 Based on the course of action for a company’s management so as to remain in the same market
or diversify into another.
 MD’s driver instead of leaving the car at company’s parking took it (was too tired) to his home
after driving whole night. But while driving met an accident & a 8 year old girl died. Internal
committee recommended to fire but final decision will be taken by MD.
 A situation of a group of farmers currently earning 6 lakhs per year each, were given an
opportunity of entering into contract farming by an MNC where they could earn 8 lakhs per year
but had doubts regarding the soil quality by growing the genetically modified crops for the MNC.
 The case was a person who is in the business of supplying metal parts to automobile companies
and defense sector was facing a dilemma since similar businesses in his area were closing down
due to loss of income. His own business had turned unprofitable in the sector of automobiles
and he was sustaining only due to income from the Defense sector to where he was supplying
materials. Also, since his entire family history was in producing of raw metals and not this supply
chain he could not even ask money from his family since no one would help him as he had gone
out of the family business. Also, he had taken a loan of 4 lacs from some person and now it was
overdue to be paid back. Discuss in such a situation what he should do.
 The country’s biggest NGO for children is offered a huge donation from a big conglomerate
whose major product is cigarettes and which is known for buying off its opposition by making
such donation. What would you, as the manager of the NGO do?
 The case discussion was about polio vaccine.
 It was about a person Hari working for chemical company who built a plant near river Ganges
and had permission from Pollution board to dump wastes in river but additional phase is
required to treat wastes.His supervisor denies him building additional phase stating company is
in tight financial conditions and he’s new here so should obey orders and or else CEO will
remove him.Discuss what should Hari do?
 About a company planning to venture into a different sector.
 Case study regarding electricity grid failure. 3 mins to read and jot down points. 10 mins of
discussion.
 It was based on a dilemma faced by a strategic manager of an MNC, where he had to choose
between profit for the company, and work ethics. We had to reach a consensus on whether the
manager should continue unethical practices to maximize the company's profits, or take diverse
measures.
 It was a about a cake manufacturing company which was facing losses for the past few months
and had a personal brand of cakes. It was given an opportunity to become a subcontractor for
another company. So, we were asked to suggest the right course of action.
 The case given was an ethics/ human resource management situation.
 The case study given to my group was related to sales. It asked us to discuss if it was okay to
compromise with the revenue of the company to increase the market share.
 There is a man Narain. Narain works as a hardware maintenance engineer in Keep it right. He
now got to know about ABC which is an institution of international stature and has 3 vacancies
for the post of computer programmer. Narain applied and because among the 10 candidates he
was the only one with work experience, he gets selected. He is recruited with a probation period
of 1 year. In some months Narain’s department head Mr. Siva Dasia gets to listen about Narain’s
incompetency and irresponsible behaviour from the clients. Siva Dasia asks Narain to work
 under him. In two months he observes that Narain’s programs are full of errors. He thus decides
to dismiss him. He conveys the same to Narain and give him recommendation in three
companies where he could apply. Narain gives interviews in all the three and gets rejected.
Finally, he gets a stay order from court which says that Siva Dasia cannot remove Narain. What
should Siva Dasia do?
 Something about a new company hiring all talents from the existing ones.

New IIMs (CAP)

 Success of an educational institution depends on placements it provides and the no of research

papers it publishes in a year. Write your own review about it.
 Something on the lines whether technology is good or bad for the current industry scenario.
 Regarding relevance of MeToo movement.
 What are your views on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in Indian society? What
future course of action should be taken to address this?
 The success of educational institutions should be measured based on placements and the
number of faculties.
 Can Public Transport help in reducing Traffic woes of Major cities and do you think the
government has done enough to improve public transport?

 Is Man the most dangerous animal on planet earth?

 Air pollution become a major problem in many parts of India. What are the causes and what are
your suggestions to solve it?
 Should India also try to do medical courses like china for barefoot doctors to prevent
overcrowding of hospitals?
 Sharing everything about life on social media. Your take on this trend.
 Why is India called the land of festivals? How are festivals important for India?
 As doctors provides essential services to community, should they go on strike?
 India is keen on boosting digital transactions. Why are digital transactions important? Why has
India failed to achieve so despite many efforts?
 Should writers be free of express their views even if it challenges beliefs of certain individuals or
groups?
 Do the children of politicians and businessman perform better in the same profession than the
outsiders? State your opinion in 300 words in 20 minutes.
 As technology develops, we will have less travelling for work. Discuss the implications of this on
Social and Work life of individuals.
 Today people tend to put the most mundane and little things of their life on social media
platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. What are your views on it?
 How digital photography and cinematography is making everything virtual reality? Would it
replace real zoos with virtual zoos? If yes what would be its impact?
 With increasing influence of technology in our lives, is there even a need for digital?
 Effect of Facebook and Twitter on our Personal and Public Life
 Weddings and restaurants have different varieties of food and most of the time a large amount
goes waste. In a country like India, we cannot afford that. What are your thoughts about the
same?
 ‘Freedom of expression in digital media’.
 If you were to start a business, what would that be, what steps you will take?