Group Discussion (GD) Topics & PI Experience by Tuhin Poran Das, Tezpur University

In a recent conversation with Shiksha, Tuhin Poran Das talks about his experience of GD & PI process for admission at Tezpur University, Assam. He talks about questions asked by the panelists and also has a few tips for aspiring students.

We were given 50 topics beforehand for GD. A random topic was selected from those 50
topics on spot during the GD. My group topic was "Can an honest man survive in today's business
world?"

I practiced a lot on my fluency and timing. Timing is important in GD, you don't have to overdo. Keep it short and impactful, hear what others have to say it helps you a lot to carry on
the discussion.

Read the newspaper, even if you hate reading newspaper try following actual verified news pages on social media. You could also read articles in magazines.

I didn't seek any help from coaching centers but yes I approached my friends and acquaintances who have gone through the GD & PI process. Their opinions and mixed experience gave me a brief idea of the entire process and to prepare accordingly.

There were 10 participants and 3-4 panelists. 

There were five members in the panelists for my PI. Most of them were professors from the Department of Business Administration. Also, one of the panelists was a prominent manager who also happened to be an alumnus of the department.

Questions varied from hobbies to the latest news. Also, a few basic management questions were asked since I was a BBA graduate. Most of the questions were framed on the answers that I replied for the last questions. So it is important that you keep it simple and also don't give answers that you aren't sure of. Keeping it short and real is probably what’s important.

YouTube videos were really helpful for me. Also, appearance is important while going for an interview. The same was said to me during the interview since it is our first impression on people. Formals clothes, neat shoes, trimmed beard and hair matter a lot.

YouTube videos, magazines, News pages on social media were what I followed for my preparation. Keeping yourself updated is a must; questions with latest news and update were asked once or twice during PI.

One thing I could have done was to go through the popular/basic newspapers on the day I had my interview, which I didn't and there was a lot of questions regarding the same.

Overall, I had a good experience. I was lucky enough to get a friendly panel for both my PI and GD round. Probably, my confidence and patience were tested during my GD & PI.

Be confident but don't show your overconfidence during PI. Admit if you don't know anything and try to keep it real. Also, keeping a neat and clean appearance is important.

About the Author:

Hi! My name is Tuhim Poran Das and I am pursuing MBA from Tezpur University which is in Assam.