Profile: Acads
Xth (ICSE) - 94.4 XIIth (ISC) - 94.4
B.Tech (ECE), IITG class of 2010 (GPA 8.45). Work-Ex: NIL CAT 2010 DI - 99.04 QA - 94.94 VA - 96.01 Overall - 99.15 Extra acads:
Numerous medals in Hockey, Football at intra institute level. Inter IIT hockey.
Head of the ed-board of my college Quizzes, debates etc.
Interview Venue: Kolkata Date: 7th April, 2010 Essay
Essay topi
C: Voting should be made compulsory.
Attempt: Argued against it talking about how the right to vote is a right and not a compulsion, and that taking away the right not to vote infringes on an individual's liberty. Also argued that if someone is apathetic enough not to vote, his apathy might even extend to who he votes for, leading to elected representatives without a popular mandate. Thirdly, I argued that the principle of compulsory voting cannot be practically implemented since there isn't a deterrent sufficient enough to force everyone to vote. There'll always be people who will prefer paying the penalty than voting.
Rate your preparation (0-5): 0 Rate your performance (0-5): 3
PI:
(Background information: My interview was scheduled for the afternoon session. My panel interviewed 8 people during the session. Mine was the 7th interview in the sequence. It started around 4:35 and lasted for 15 minutes. The panel members were:
A (setting to my left): A youngish looking gentleman. Probably an alumnus. B (centre): Old Prof. remained silent for the entire interview.
C (sitting to my right): Some lady. Could've either been a prof or an alumnus.)
Me (entering the room): Good evening
A (as I take my seat): The guy we interviewed before you, he's from your institute. Are the two of you friends?
Me: More like acquaintances.
A: What's the difference between a friend and an acquaintance?
Me (thinking a bit): We're in the same hostel and all, but you tend to be friends with folks you have classes
etc. in common with. I don't hang out with him, so I wouldn't really call him a friend.
A: Okay. So what's your favourite subject? Me: Communication Networks.
Me (confused): What's the issue with 3G?
A: Communication is your favourite subject and you don't know about the 3G issue?
Me (suddenly realizing what he was asking): The government of India is looking to auction the spectrum for 3G services. I've read this somewhere that the pricing needs to be absolutely perfect for such an auction if the government doesn't want to lose money on the sale. The problem being faced by the government is the determination of the perfect price. So currently, the situation in India is that only BSNL (which is government owned) is providing 3G services to customers.
None of the other service providers have been allotted spectrum.
A: So what's different about 3G? What do you mean by 1G, 2G etc.?
Me: These are mobile communication standards set by probably the FCC in the USA (turns out I was slightly
wrong here. These standards are unofficial) regarding requirements that the mobile technology should meet to be termed as belonging to a particular generation.
A: How will you differentiate between them?
Me: Each of them use different technologies, different modulation schemes, different spectrum, and have
different data rates.
A: Could you tell me the data rates for 2G, 3G etc.? Me: I don't know the exact data rates.
A: You should. This is your favourite subject...
Me: What you're asking (3G etc.) actually falls under the subject of Mobile Communications. My favourite
subject (Communication networks) is similar to Computer networks.
A: Okay. So have you heard about (Some weird acronym that I can't recall) Me: Never heard of it.
A: (The weird acronym again)? TCP/IP? UDP? Me: I know about TCP/IP and UDP.
A: What's the difference between the two?
Me: UDP is connectionless. If you're using UDP to transfer a packet, there's no guarantee that the packet has
reached its destination. TCP/IP on the other hand ensures that every packet reaches its destination. It actually establishes a connection with the other side before sending packets, and it checks whether each packet has reached the other side.
A: So where will you use UDP and TCP/IP?
Me: Consider something like voice. If whatever I'm saying right now were to be converted into data packets,
and if only a fraction of those packets were to reach you at the other side, you will still be able to discern what I'm trying to say. Voice is redundant. Voice applications therefore use UDP.
A: Give me applications where the two are used.
Me: File transfer, where every chunk of the file is crucial for the file to be complete, uses TCP/IP. Voice
communications over the internet use UDP.
A: What do you mean by 128 bit SSL encryption? Or rather, tell me why do we need encryption? Me: Can I describe encryption to you in terms of Public Key/Private Key encryption techniques? A: Sure. Go Ahead. (Long interaction on Private key/public key. I started off explaining
that the need for encryption is to ensure a third person does not overhear what we're trying to communicate to the other side. Half-way through I realized that there was another purpose, to authenticate myself to the other side. I wasn't very structured since I was remembering stuff I'd learnt as I was speaking, but ultimately I did demonstrate the use of Private/Key Public Key to realize both the purposes of Encryption.)
Me: I've heard the term. If you could give me some examples, I'll probably be able to recollect... C: Bus, Ring etc...?
Me: Yeah. I think this term is used to describe how various nodes are connected in a computer network. I
think in a bus, all the nodes are connected in a straight line, whereas in a ring, there's a circular wire running through the middle and the nodes are connected to it.
C: Which has the server in the centre?
Me: It should be ring. I'm not sure, but why else would they call it ring... C: What's the difference between a LAN and a WAN?
Me (hesitating): WAN is wireless...
A: WAN? Wireless?
Me: Wait. WAN stands for wide area networks and LAN for local area networks. A: That's theoretical. What's the difference?
Me: I don't know.
C: What's meant by SMTP?
Me: SMTP stands for Simple mail transfer protocol. It's a protocol for email transfer. I think it probably
works using (I started describing another protocol - POP, but soon realized I was wrong and let hesitation creep into my voice)
A: I think you're wrong here.
Me: I think so too. What I've described here is the POP. SMTP is used for email transfer. I don't really know
how it works.
A (sternly): Don't try to answer if you don't know. Just say immediately you don't know.
Me: My mistake. My apologies.
C: I see you had very good marks in class 10th and 12th. What was your favourite subject? Me: English.
C: So do you read?
Me: I used to read a lot earlier. Then my reading habit dropped off a bit, but I'm picking it up again. C: What do you read? Fiction/Non-fiction?
Me: I used to be a huge fiction fan earlier. Now I'm beginning to read non-fiction too.
A (interrupting the discussion on books): Tell me why you want to do an MBA?
Me (After thinking for almost 10 seconds): Suppose someone wants to learn assembly language
programming. You give him a microprocessor kit and a manual, and he will learn it. But how is an employer looking for someone with these skills supposed to know that this individual has what he is looking for. Similarly, with the job I have got, I believe it's decent enough to teach me some of the skills that an MBA will teach me, but how will my employer know I possess those skills.
A: So you're telling me you want to do an MBA because of the brand and the image?
Me: No. If you were to offer me the MBA degree without the skills, I wouldn't accept it. An MBA without the
skills expected of an MBA would be immediately found out. I want to do it because of the skills I'll be gaining that I'll need as I grow in my career and start dealing with the business side of things.
A: Where have you been placed?
Me: I have a couple of job offers. One is a PPO from (an investment bank doing God's work)... A: Wow. That's something MBA graduates dream about.
A: So what. 2 years down the line if you get your MBA, you'll be working on some techno-management
related stuff for the same bank only.
Me: (remains quiet) A: So what's the other job?
Me: A manufacturing profile at (an FMCG day 1 recruiter at IITs).
A: That's even better. You'll be learning more on the shop floor in a week than your 2 years of MBA...
Me: The option for working at the shop floor will always be open. Even after my MBA, I can learn at the shop
floor. But a chance to do an MBA from IIMB does not come along every year. Look at the competition.
A: Let me complete. I have some advice for you. Whether you chose to accept it. That's totally your decision.
You are obviously intelligent, communicate very well and you may even get your MBA. But if I were you, I'd work for a few years and then do the 1 year management program for executives.
Me: The 1 year program is an accelerated program right? I'll gain more from 2 years studying management
than 1.
C: The 2 year program is obviously more rigorous than the 1 year course. But you really should think about
this.
A: We're done. You may leave. Me: Thank you.
(I thought extracurricular were my strength, but the panel did not give me a single chance to direct the discussion towards extracurricular.)