Principios ordenadores

Venue: Hotel Kenilworth, Calcutta date: 22nd March

Profile:

10th: 88.4% CBSE 12th: 93.2% CBSE CAT 2009: 99.88%

BTech in EE: 8.47 (IIT Kgp) final year student

Essay topic: Business houses should take greater social responsibility.

I was the last person to be interviewed in the entire morning slot. So perhaps my interview was a bit short because of that. Two professors: P1 and P2, and me (M)

Interview:

P1: So, you are an electrical engineer, a pretty rare species these days. M: hehehe...smiled

P1: Tell me, what is the difference between a motor and a generator.

M: A motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy and generator does the reverse. (pretty easy

question, answered confidently)

P1: ok, what is the difference between a series motor and a shunt motor . M: answered confidently and explained using a paper and a pen.

P1: say, I have two grids, one is 100MW and one is 400MW. Under what conditions can I connect these two

grids.

M: Their frequency needs to be same and in case they are not same, then we can convert them to DC and

then connect them using an HVDC link and then convert back to AC to one of the frequencies. Then the voltage magnitude of both the grids need to be same.

Then the voltages need to be in phase.

(explained the synchronization in phase using pen and paper)

P1: Do you remember maths.

M: yes sir, the maths that I have applied in my engineering and the basic 12th maths. P1: You have studied laplace transform?

M: yes

P1: what is it why is it used in differential equations?

M: It is a mathematical operator that transforms an equation from time domain to frequency domain. Used

to solve differential equations as it converts them to algebraic equations.

P1: (wrote a differential equation) Write the laplace transform of this equation. M: done

P1: say i give u a function y = f(x), how will you find the laplace transform of y? M: Sir, can I assume that x is a function in t?

P1: ok, do that

M: then y = f(x); x = g(t) , eliminate x to get y = h(t). Then find the laplace transform of y. P1: ok, what is the mathematical definition for Laplace transform?

M: wrote correctly. (profs seemed satisfied so far) P1: how is it going?

M: Sir, the interview?? P1: yes

P1: smiles, but still, what do you feel? M: Sir, I think it has gone decently till now.

P1: ok, since morning I have been asking the question to everyone but I not got a good answer.

tell me what is government of India?

M: I think the government of India would contain every person of India who can vote, since he has some say

in the decision making process. He can elect or remove a representative.

P1: So every Indian citizen is a part of the Government?

M: according to this definition, yes. (Actually I was very wrong, the Government is executive+ judiciary +

legislative, but never mind, since no-one got it correct :P) Besides, how do we define it would depend on

where the definition is written.

P1: So where is this definition written.

M: I am not sure but I think the constitution would define that.

P1: what is the constitution of India.

M: It is a written body that defines the fundamental rights, duties of citizens, then how elections are to be

conducted, how different government bodies are supposed to act and how a bill becomes a law.

P1: how does a bill become a law?

M: First it is studied by the cabinet of ministers and then ....(P1 cut me short)

P1: Can only the ruling party introduce a bill.

M: Sir I haven't read about it but I have never seen an opposition party introducing a bill. P1: what is the role of Indian penal code?

M: It defines the punishments for the different crimes.

P1: I am still not satisfied with your answer about the Govenment of India. M: smiles

P1: (to P2) i am done

P2: You wrote in your essay about the human development index, what is it?

M: (on a back-foot, since was not really knowledgeable about it) I am not sure whether it is called human

development or human happiness index but it is a measure of social development factors that contribute to well being like education, access to health care, gender equity etc

P2: So who develops this index?

M: I am not really sure but I think it is developed by the UN.(turns out I was right ) P2: (draws a function on the paper) write a mathematical definition of this graph M: worked it out very confidently (it was a simple graph).

P2: ok (later @ home I realized, I had done a silly mistake in assuming the function definition, but that was

not pointed out. Don’t know if I got away with it, or he thought that this is a minor mistake)

P2: So why do you want to do an MBA, you know people with engineering background look down upon

managers, they say bad engineers become good managers.

M: with a big smile on my face. No sir ,that's not true. I have seen so many department toppers opt for

management.

P2: what's your position in department? M: In top 10 in a department of 45 students. P2: that looks good

M: smiles. Then answered the why MBA part pretty confidently. P2: Where have you been placed?

M: Answered. Looking at the lack of recognition on prof's face, I explained that the company is based in USA

and does analytics work for a specific sector of companies and is the global leader in it.

Then explained the job role in a more detailed manner. about modeling of market segments, research of past consumer records etc

P2: Then you would be using a lot of mathematics? M: yes sir, I think so.

P2: your job is good, why do you want to do an MBA now?

M: talked about the different areas that I can study like marketing, finance, operations etc and then take a

better informed decision later .

P2: Did you take GMAT? M: no sir.

P2: why not?

M: I do not want to study in a foreign university, 2-4 yrs of experience, then 2 yrs of studies, then 2 yrs of job

outside to pay off debts, not ready for such a long commitment outside India.

P1: But as it is your job is outside India?

M: ohh...I think I miscommunicated, my job is in a US based company's India office. P2: ok, where else have you got calls from?

M: I have calls from A, B ,C and K

P2: not from Indore, but you are from Indore ? (P2 smiled) M: Yes sir, I missed out on that

P2: ok Aditya, all the best for your other interviews and take a toffee with you. M : thank u sir and left.