Students’ Speak: 10 topics you must know to ace GD-PI round

By: Ambika Sur

Group Discussion (GD)–Personal Interview (PI) rounds are the final frontier for any MBA aspirant.They are integral to the selection process for any top-tier management institution. The key to success in the GD-PI round is to stay prepare beforehand. Here are some key topics to prepare for GD-PI round based on previous year trends. Knowledge of these topics can give a strong edge to all the shortlisted candidates during the selection rounds.

1. India $5 trillion economy by 2024 – possible or not?

Topic – India’s GDP was $2.37 trillion in 2018. Government announced to improve country’s GDP up to $5 trillion economy by 2024.

For – Possible!

Presently government is providing more support to the business. In 2018’s the world bank’s ease of doing the business index, India ranked 77. Whereas two years back the rank was 103. This growth will surely give a push to country’s economy.

Recently finance minister announced to empower banks with 70,000cr so that banks can provide fresh loans. This step is mainly taken while keeping the automobile sector in mind.

After automobile, 100 lakh cr is announced for the infrastructure over 5 years. It is announced in 2019’s budget.

With government’s support the banks are cutting the interest rates. If the rate of interest is low then consumers will take a loan and have money to buy according to their demands.

On the other side, RBI announced to transfer 1.76 lakh cr surpluses to the government to help the government to invest and further economic growth.

Against – Not possible!

The present economic slowdown is a major obstacle. To meet the target, the country’s GDP should be 8% along with 12% nominal growth. Nominal growth means actual GDP along with inflation. But keeping the present condition and GDP in mind it seems to be impossible to achieve 2024.

The economic slowdown of India is globally visible which is making an impact on the foreign investors too. Around rs 8,300 is pulled out by the investors already during august. The international, as well as domestic investors, are losing interest pushing India to an extent which is tough to recover.

There is a very low demand for goods in the market, his is affecting numerous sectors. This condition is leading towards poor money circulation. Unemployment is also a major cause behind lower demand. So to chive the goal of $5 trillion economies our country has to recover first then grow. And it will surely take more time than in 2024.

An economy where income inequality prevails which means the rich becoming more rich and poor becoming poorer, the achievement will take time.

2. Is Technology affecting human? 

Topic - Machine and technology were initially developed and invented for making human more efficient and save time. But not the picture is completely different. But people have different views on the topic so, let’s proceed.

For – Yes! Technology is affecting humanity.

Dependent – we all are getting more dependent on technology. It starts from the morning alarm, then setting important reminders of meeting, listening to music during leisure time and lot more. This is making humans less responsible. Humans are not keeping anything in their mind they are more dependent.

Minimum real interactions – healthy interaction is basic human nature. With the phone on hand, laptop on lap, ears plugged with earphones and the list goes on. All these gadgets and technology is consuming all our attention. Humans are no less humans because they not interacting as before. Think about it how long we spend time in real talk, face to face.

The search engine is the one-click key to every quarry. Earlier even though things were not easy, searching the answer for a quarry was a time-consuming task as books were the only way to get the answer. But the best part was the journey to get the answer we used to come up with so many new facts and figures. But search engines give us the exact answer instantly which closes various windows of knowledge.

One of the worst part, humans is really losing their humanity. We have many instances when people are more indulged into taking videos when someone is in trouble than helping the needy.

Machines are also making humans weak and unfit. At the same time, humans are also forced to work tirelessly with all-time working machines in industries.

Against – No! Technology is not affecting humanity.

Improved relationship with long-distance friend and family. Technology is helping us to build a better relationship with distance people. Its keeps the world connected and maintains the emotional bond among the family. Without technology, it won’t be possible.

Work from home – Because of technology, people of various categories can work from home or anywhere in the world. It increases the efficiency of the employees by providing them flexibility of working hour. Working from home works best for pregnant women under maternity leave.

Spreading awareness – technology helps to spread awareness about several happenings around the globe. It makes people more sensible. Technology is also used to raise funds for some noble cause. It is a huge act of humanity which is highly powered by technology.

3. Electric Vehicles - Is India ready for it?

Topic – EV (Electric Vehicle) consist a battery which provides power to the engine. The batteries are charged with electricity which later supplies power. Presently EV is common in the developed countries but new in India. 7 leading automobile manufacturers Tesla, Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford, Volkswagen, Kia & BMW are already into it.

EV has several pro and cons to get accustomed in India and local consumers. Let’s have a discussion.

For- Yes! India is ready for EV

• An electric vehicle or electrically operated locomotives are not new for India. The country is already using them for heavy load activities like pulling heavy train coaches. It saves conventional energy n fuel lie diesel, petrol and coal in a very environment-friendly way.
• Major automobile manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki India, Hero Electric Vehicles etc are already registered for manufacturing the electric vehicle in india.
• Major tie ups are also going on, for example – Mahindra & Mahindra made a partnership with Ford for developing EV in affordable price. Suzuki & Toyota are planning to launch in the country.
• By 2030 India has to minimize its share from global emission as per Paris climate agreement. Under such circumstances, EV is a solution as it will minimise 156 mega tones in diesel and petrol usage per annum. Minimised usage will also save money up to rs 3.9 lakh crore along with the environment.
• Government is contributing well enough with several schemes and subsidies. In 2015 FAME (faster adoption & manufacturing of electric vehicle) providing incentive as high as rs 1,40,000 on some cars.
• According to data by the Society of manufacturers of EV sales of electric cars grew 94% within few years worldwide.

Against – No! India is not ready.

• Our country is still lacking the appropriate infrastructure to welcome EV. Enough charging stations aren’t yet installed.
• Despite of several government schemes, the Indian consumers are not showing high interest towards this new technology.
• Consumers are not showing enough patience to cope up with the electric cars as its having comparatively slow pickup & slow speed.
• Electric vehicles have very high operating and maintenance cost. Ola launched an ambitious electric vehicle project in Nagpur but it didn’t work as the drivers demanded for their fuel cars in exchange of EV because of the maintenance reason.

4. Cashless economy – is India ready?

Topic – it comes under digital India which aims to transform the country and make it digitally empowered along with knowledge of the country’s economy. Another role is to go faceless, paperless and cashless.

The cashless economy of India got it major pick up from 8th November 2016 when the demonetization announced.

In cashless economy credit and debit cards, virtual wallets or bank electronic fund transfer are used for the circulation of the cashless system.

For – Yes! India is ready.

The government is pushing the county towards the cashless economy. Several initiatives are the example – demonetization, direct benefit transfer, BHIM etc. the main concern is to minimize corruption.

Country people are also showing response by downloading & using the mobile wallet app. 30% growth in the download of leading bank’s app is also registered.

Smartphone and data revolution, nearly 90% of the population has a smartphone and as the data rate going down so more people are coming online. This a major reason for the crowd to go cashless.

Ease of going cashless, the e-wallet apps or the bank apps are really making the process of going cashless really easy. And the customers feel secured too as there is no need to carry thick cash in pocket. One thin phone will do it all.

Against – No! India is not ready.

• Around 60% of the county’s population is rural. They must be having smartphones and coming online – thanks to the lower rate of smartphones and data cost. But they are no aware enough to use the apps to manage cash. Here illiteracy also plays a key role.
• The informal population of the country is highly cash-dependent. Many labours and working-class people don’t own any bank account and earn cash on daily basis.
• Many people who have the required knowledge to go cashless but still aren’t going because of some security issues. Due to several securities-related incidents or hacking activities they are having trust issues with the cashless system.

5. Make in India vs. made in India

Make in India – “Make in India” is the tagline of the present government’s investment campaign. The invitation is mainly for foreign investors. It was launched in 2014 by PM Narendra Modi to give an economic boost to the country. To attract the foreign investors the govt. started presenting India as a very suitable place for business. Several changes in international business policies are also made along with the removal of certain trade barriers. It successfully motivated foreign investors to invest in India’s market through FDI (foreign direct investment).

But as usual, there are some pros and cons –

Pros-

• Employment for a huge population
• Transforming India into a manufacturing hub.
• Boost of GDP as income flow from foreign will increase.
• Strengthening of rupee against American dollar by FDI.
• India will get more exposure to technology and innovations.

Cons-

• It’s a threat to the local small manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
• Very high demand for resources like land and water for infrastructure installation will definitely cause depletion in near future.
• In case the investors withdraw then again the employment rate will go down.
• Its main focus is on the manufacturing units so the agriculture will not get any positive impact.

Made in India – Sounds similar but there lay a huge difference with make in India. The made in India campaign is truly empowering as it is applicable to the products which are completely manufactured in India. It is also applicable for the products of foreign or domestic companies as long as it is solely made in India. It aim is to encourage the local and domestic manufacturers for goods production by utilizing available resources. There is no aim to attract the foreign investors. The idea of employment generation is similar with ‘make in India’ campaign.

Pros-

• Successful execution of made in India will definitely empower Indian handmade products and homegrown brands.
• The resources will be used efficiently and by safe hands.
• Made in India is the platform for the local entrepreneurs and buyers to show and compete globally.
• And surely implement generation will be there.
• Made in India is working for branding the indigenous products and goods.

Cons –

• Govt is more focused on the make in India to attract innovation and technology along with foreign investors.
• The present economy of the country is not stable enough to support the idea of made in India.
• The local products of India can’t match the global quality so it lacks the opportunity t export them.

6. Beef ban in India – justified?

Topic - The sale of cattle to slaughterhouses was banned by the central government in 25^th May 2017. Then again very next month on 11^th July, the Supreme Court suspended the ban throughout India as its creating uncertainties in livelihoods.

For – yes! Beef should be banned.

• Cattle being a sacred animal in Hinduism, slaughtering hurts the sentiments of the religion. Banning will bring an end to several religious riots and problems.
• Animals rights will get empowered.
• According to article 48 of Indian constitution, it is already mentioned that steps will be taken for prohibiting the cattle slaughter.
• Basic rules of not harassing the animals are not followed in the slaughterhouses. Animals go through intense suffering before getting killed.

Against – no! Beef ban is not justified.

• The ban will result in a huge unemployment as 22million jobs are involved directly and indirectly with the slaughterhouse. The banning will impact negatively on their livelihood.
• In some places, beef is a cheaper source of protein.
• Certain export business revolves around the beef industry. It will be highly affected.
• The pharmaceutical industry will also get affected somewhere as for manufacturing of some medicines animal fats and other ingredients are used.
• The cattle when stop providing benefits to the farmers sent to get slaughtered. Around 70% of such cattle are owned by farmers so they don’t have any other way to get them slaughtered once the cattle turn useless to them.
• Why only cattle ban, as it having religious sentiments? Why not all animals. All the animals also have equal rights so the matter should be seriously reviewed.
• Illegal activities should be banned. But if all overactivity is banned then illegal activities will increase.

7. CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT BILL, 2019

• The citizenship (amendment bill), 2019 is the discriminatory and its constitutionality bill that needs a tight or we can say hard judicial scrutiny.This bill is not applied in the tribal area of Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura. In this, all cases against a Non-Muslim illegal migrant will be stand abated.

FAVOUR OF THE TOPIC:-

• As we all know that in our 3 neighbouring countries, non – Muslims were tortured earlier, and it is still happening.
• India is making citizenship norms easy for them. So, they will not be tortured and they will be saved by several circumstances.
• It is enabling a person with no proof of birth of their parents in India, they can apply through the provision of naturalization that is of 6 years.
• It is reducing the mandatory requirement of 12 years of stay to 5 years for the eligibility of citizenship.

  AGAINST OF THE TOPIC:-

• It is directly against Article 14 that is Right to equality.
• It is against the secularism of India.
• It is not extended to those countries such as Myanmar and Sri Lanka, from where Rohingya Muslims and Tamils that are staying in our India as refugees.
• It covers only religious aspects but not political aspects and social aspects.
• It is creating a demographic threat.
• IT is totally against the minority people of India and NRC.
• Government is just playing the religious card with the citizens of India.
• This citizenship classification may fail the test of the constitutionality.

 

8. Impact of “ Internet of things “ (IOT) on our daily lives

• As we all know the Internet of things is a network of interconnected digital devices, machines, vehicles and many more. These devices are totally useful in exchange of data.
• It is nowadays is being used in almost all sectors of work.

Positive impact:-

• In earlier days, we were thinking that the day will come when everything near to us will talk. Nowadays it is happening just because of IOT. Now we have Chairs, Beds, Pen, Cars, Music system, all things are connected directly with the Internet. These things are happening with the help of sensor connecting devices.
• Its demand is increasing day by day because of Ultra low cost and zero maintenance charges.
• Most important thing is that we need not have to be expert to use these things because these products and services are already enabled with Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning.
• It is helpful for healthcare sectors too. In terms of Monitoring in the areas of fitness, diet, medication, blood pressure etc.
• It is helpful in the prediction of natural disasters.

NEGATIVE IMPACT:-

• In this 21st century where the quantity of youths is going higher. So, there will be more demand for jobs but IOT goods and services are making a massive loss of jobs over the next 10 years.
• In terms of banking and financial securities, it is going to be a threat for countries like India whose cybersecurity system is too weak.
• It is going to affect the new generation because by birth they will be fully dependent on the Internet, where everything will be easily available which will make their thinking capability too low.
• In this privacy of any people is going to be affected because of data breaching.

9. MINOR’S ABORTION SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE MERCY OF THE COURT

• If the girl is getting right of terminating the pregnancy, it will be helpful in saving that girl from psychological trauma and physical scarring for life.

IN THE FAVOUR OF THE TOPIC:-

• All the doctors of India need not have to work against the law by carrying out these serious issues in the terms of abortion which is directly prohibiting the India law. If they will be caught then it could be end up by losing their licenses. So, the law says no to abortion.
• It is totally a threat for the teenage girl whose age may be between 10 to 12 years of age. Abortion could create infection and could end up with their lives too.
• Abortion can give lifelong scars on that teenage girl. It will scare her whole life, maybe she would start suffering from mental illness.

AGAINST THE TOPIC:-

• If that teenage girl would give the birth of a child then it will directly affect that newborn child and a teenage girl in terms of development.
• That teenage girl will be directly affected in terms of the psychological factor. She would not accept that newborn child because it would keep reminding of that rapist person.
• Delivering a child at teenage could end up with lives.
• According to BBC report that India has the largest population of sexually abused children, and one most shaming data is that a child under the age of 10 raped every 13 hours. So, the government of India should review these laws.

10. State-based language is not a good idea

• As we all know the demand for states based on linguistic was the idea before the Independence of India. And Orissa was the first state formed on the provision of linguistic basis that is in 1936. And Indian states are totally divided according to the Old Indian Kingdom. But after 1956, sates were recognized on the basis of Language.

IN THE FAVOUR OF THE TOPIC:-

• State-based language is creating a division between the people of India.
• People are identifying each other on the basis of state or language, not on the basis of Indian.
• It is creating a psychological distance between people.
• State-based language is making population minority in their state means discrimination among people is going on different parts of India.

AGAINST OF THE TOPIC:-

• As we all know that people in India speak many languages. So, creating states on the basis of language is not a bad idea.
• It will be a happier moment for the people of that particular language because of the formation of the state according to their language choice.
• It will be helpful in terms of the development of that particular area.
• As we all know that India is a diverse country. So, it will be helpful in the terms of attraction of tourists that is the diversity of India.

 

About the Author:

An MBA student of Lovely Professional University with an agriculture background. Continuously working on technical and managerial skills to achieve an exceptional career in the corporate world. Completed live project at metro cash and carry and marketing intern at Agronxt.