Pares de oposición

I had to post this, not because PI was out-of the world, but as a note of reminiscence....

Profile:

CAT: 2009 - 99.77; Calls: A,C (PGDM) Xth: 90.8

XIIth: 87.4

B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from BIT Mesra %age:75.3 Work Ex:-4months (mfg.)

Date: 30th March 2010 Time: 8:45 slot

Venue: The IIMA campus(and i‘m in love)

We were made to sit around a circular table and after initial document verification, they gave us the topic for essay:

Essay Topic: Our Governance and Political System share a deep mistrust for Entrepreneurship.

I wrote the summary of the last book i read, 'Imagining India'...as to how at the start India's Nehru-vian era politicians/freedom fighters were against imperialism and capitalism. India needed hand-holding, socialism was in vogue.

Led to red-tape, bureaucracy etc, no competition leading to same problems that India was fighting for. LPG of 1991, how it changed everything. NRM and Nilekani became poster-boys with the latter being given charge of UID, which can be seen as signs of "deep trust" between them.

Wrote nothing specific, but was satisfied because time was also only 10 mins. Now came the much-awaited thing. IIMA Interview.

My panel was 4th, I was the second to go, probably Kaal_bhairav was also in the same. The first candidate came out, looked like his dreams shattered, OMG!!

P1: Quiet looking madam.(But she was the one who asked maximum questions.) P2: Young Sir(Smiling all the time, probably trying to make everyone comfortable)

P1 came after 5 minutes or so and called my name, I wanted to correct telling madam that is my surname, but didn't.

Before entering waited for madam to get in, so that I may wish them together, she told ok, go ahead, so wished her, entered, wished sir.

P2: come in. Me: Thank you, sir.

P2: So how are you feeling?

Me: great...energetic (the last one sheepishly, just in case i get an opportunity to explain adrenaline et al.) P1: give me your file.

Me: yes mam.

P2: So you have been working in L&T, how is it, how long? Me: Sir 4 months, told about company joined in Nov....recession. P2: It will be loss for the company..

Me: No sir actually….

P2: How many people were recruited? Me: Sir in my batch blah blah....in total blah. P2: Then it will be like leading to chain reaction. Me: No sir (and a grin).

Me: (I hadn't heard of most of those contracts, i guess because mine is not construction biz. The kind of biz.

That comes to anyone's mind when he hears L&T) Gave them the specific example of Bandra-Worli ..told we

quote higher leading to reject but do quality work….blah blah HCC blah.

P2: Compare it with other companies. Me: did ..but sir actually I am in blah blah. P2: compare competitors in your own domain.. Me: Did. and sir other verticals of L&T are... P2: Ok explain them

Me: Explained n market share.

P2:what is verticalization, advantages, disadvantages?

Me: told it may lead to more competitiveness but it may also lead to loss of opportunities for sister org. in

case some other company is quoting better price. Need of collaboration competition blah.

P2: Compare L&T and Reliance. Me: Told Ambani is owner of Reliance

P2: No i am also owner of Reliance(*laughing*)

Me: sorry sir, I mean yes you do, in fact every share- holder is but I mean whenever we hear of Reliance

Ambanis come to mind, but in case of L&T people rise through the ranks by working hard.

(and this ownership thing i just after the cruel incident at XLRI, oh my God I shuddered at the thought that his interview will also go tangent, but was saved. for the records my answer was wrong actual difference was they have already gone for verticalization, Rinfra, RNRL etc.)

P2: So if will work hard, you will become the owner?

Me: No sir, but if i will work hard for say 30-40 years, i may become chairman. P2: Do you actually think things are so simple and rosy.

Me: I don't know sir, but that's what they told me in "Induction". If u work hard here...(sab induction pe dal

diya..had no choice)

P2 So u think L&T is managed professionally in a better way? Me: Without getting into comparison, i think yes it is sir... P1: So setu what do you actually do.

Me: told.

P1: See what you told does not make much sense to me….tell me have you heard of torrent ?

Me: Mam torrent , i heard of power, i don't know(....the first thing that came to my mind was jagjit singh

and torrent syrup )

P1: yeah tell me about Torrent Power.

Me: Sorry mam i don’t know much. (Later learnt that Torrent, from thane supplies power to Ahmedabad.) P1: oh you are not actually from mumbai right. are you?

Me: Yes mam. just been sometime.

P1: ok then tell me everything from the start as to how electricity is generated and how it is glowing this CFL.

(All these 10 mins she was browsing through my file, i was wondering there was nothing so extra-ordinary, later I found out mam did the same for everyone)

Me: Mam based on the sources it can be thermal , hydro... P1: I gave you thermal, now.

Me: , mam the heat energy gen. will drive the turbine and P1: How will it drive the turbine.

Me: Ma’am it gets heated up and hence higher pressure so when falls, turbine moves. P1: But how?

Me: (scribbled something on paper) madam PV/T is constant ..hence p-> leads to T-> and vice versa. P1: ok i assume this is so , now?

P1: hey where is generator?

Me: yes madam explained something.. P1: will have to assume that too? Me: No madam, explained this time ..

P1: ok but why do they step up step down why not supply directly Me: told, need to step up, less losses.

P2: but why step down, supply the same.

Me: power loss= v2/r...so more heat will be generated, resistance will melt away at such a high voltage. P1: I have noticed all the voltage levels are this strange multiple of 110, why so?

Me: Sir , i searched for it on internet, there was no single reason but the most common one was related to

experiment of Edison. He needed 100 v, assumed losses and hence 110, alter ac and transformer ...

P1: who was Edison?

Me: Sir He is said to have invented or patented 80 or so products including DC generator. system and

gramophone,,,,er i am sorry it was not gramophone. (i knew all the time i am missing something) Sir Nikola Tesla discovered AC gen System..*just to add an extra fact, how can i miss bulb *

P2: and He founded a company ? Me: yes mam, GE, General electric. P2: why don’t we transfer DC, why AC?. Me: More losses

P2: why?

Me: Mam it can be done for 100-200 m, but not for long distances..(could not think of the most simple

question.)

P2: Ok how do you step up DC?

Me: Ma’am chopper(OMG!! she gave me an hint, still i didn’t catch the earlier question). P2: It will chop off , and hence can be used for step down, how step up..

Me: I don't recollect madam. P1: ok what are your hobbies. Me: Sir I like reading....

(*No questions *)

Me: and i like playing badminton and watching docus. P2: which one?

Me: Sir the last one being Story of India by Michael woods, Download-the story of internet...birth of Israel-

Palestine.

P2: a guy of Hamas was killed recently, what was his name?

Me: don't remember his name sir, told whole story and at last said he was shot. P2: Are you sure, may be you need to revisit those sections.

Me: Sir I have not watched, I think i have read it somewhere.

(I was wrong, I checked it later)

P1: Tofees.

Took and thanked them.

Came out it was around 10:00, it lasted 20 mins(approx.)

..went TANSTAAFL...just roamed around the campus with 2-3 guys, you know it feels amazing, even more than what it seems in pic(*read wallpaper*)