IIM Interviews - Season 2 (S & C)

So here I was back in kol for the interview season 2. Right now I am in train going back to guwahati seeking to kill some time while misssing all the fun and colours of HOLI that the world outside is enjoying :(. Had the Shillong and calcutta one on 8th and 10th of march. Had a midsem stretch from 1st to 6th and hence there wasnt much scope to get on with the happenings around the world and that made me lose an edge behind others. Getting the formalities done for the mischievous kol form!! had to get HOD to attest my academic record..which he felt was a arduous process.and then having the academic section shell out a certificate in two days time...it was almost a run against time..and all that amidst the exams that were goona ensure I could use all this stuff. Anyways all done I left on 6th evening and back to kol rest house on 7th night. The next day was the IIM Shillong interview in afternoon session. For a change fom all previous ones this was at IISWBM,an institute which the present director of IIMS once headed.
Now a new venue brings with it a altogether new search for it. Built amidst the conundrum of collage square it was quite a task to resolve it. But contrary to expectations the place had the standards to host an IIM interview.The auditorium was opened to be the waiting area. Had our Gd at 2:00. It was a table prepared for 11 out of which 8 had turned up to be present. The discussion was to be on a case related to an official confusion on India's stand at WTO meeting. THe decision of supporting either the EU or an australia led group rested with the official. The format was 5-15-5 in order of reading-discussing-summarizing. However we were cut short in the last part and were asked to return the sumary paper in aroung 2.5 mins. Then again as most of the cases I was third last to appear for the interview. Presence fo familiar faces from last interviews brought solace to the 3 hr wait. Finally I got the chance to present myself before the panel comprising of three professors or so do I think. The right most gentleman started with the difference in CDMA and GSM and went on to antennas taking the strictest of the technical route finally yielding me to give up. Then the rightmost guy started on with women empowerment and asked me for a 2 min extempore. Thank god I went through the morning Times of India which had the coverstory related to women condition in India (later realized it was women empowerment day). amidst other things the central prof(or an alumni) occasionally chipped in with his seemingly sarcastic smile. I was asked about female prime ministers in the world..the first..ones at time of Indira Gandhi.Based on my statistical answers to some question they deviated finally to sample surveys and other stuff and bid goodbye after a 20 minute get together.!!!
Next after a days break I was present at IIM Calcutta campus for coveted interview. The Gd was on the relevance of planning in times of dominant market fources. The 2-10-1 min schedule seemed too less in starting. 2 minutes to think on topic and discussion for 10 mins in a group of 12 was unproportions so as to say. However we had a good discussion overall with seldom "fish-market" situations. again was numbered 8th for the interview. My luck!!or unluck..the usual bakar prevailed in the waiting lounge. When called for my turn I entered the room with (again) three panalist. The right most began by asking for my form. Contrary to others we were asked to get our forms and photocopies of certificates attested in the office and hence original file was not asked for. Started with railways to question with regarding Dad's posting adn other usual stuff of which all places I have been. Then there a sweet(uhh) smile on reading my hobbies..Number Theory..batton passes directly to the third person. The proff with stern looks and typicall frightening aura I relate to one of my profs back at 'G'. Started with an efficient way to get GCD of two numbers..efficient ?? I knew only one method taught in 7th standard.so hands up...then he came to prime number checking and that was my forte...i mean epicenter of my preparations.....gave him root N method..supplemented it with fermat's theorem. went ahead to pseudoprimes and finally he was getting satisfied he pitched in whether power function's(fermat's theorem) use is an efficient way for which I could mummer about my ignorance of a better method. And with this ends grilling on my hobby and I take a sigh of relief now middle proff enters the debate with his ex India knowledge and went to my Zurich. Langauages and other tourism related things. then again the right most proff chipped in the railways with a question on all the fuss about Indian Railways making huge profits. Again something I prepared well for. So muttered all the facts and figures. logics in some cases were questioned and i guess explained well. The middle one then asks the concluding question of my plan next day. Told him was taking a train back. On his enquiry of why not to spend holi with friends in kol..my answer of need to reach Guwahati for a class the day after(As if I would attend that :)) seemed to leave some impression. So in all it was a mach on home ground in which my innings went well..but still a home ground does not guarantee that opposition would not perform..So have kept my fingers crossed. Planning to go back and get on the nes from the world and the GCD's efficient method:) for A and L.