🎓 From Political Science to IIM Calcutta: How This Fresher Handled a Playful Yet Challenging Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Political Science from a leading Delhi university
- Work Experience: Fresher
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 98%
- 12th Grade: 97%
- Graduation: 79%
- CAT Percentile: 98.73
- Interview Date: March 4, 2024
- Location: New Delhi
- Panel Composition: 3 Interviewers (P1, P2, P3)
📝 WAT Topic
- Topic: “After COVID, Bollywood is struggling to get people back into theatres. Why is this happening, and what can be done?”
🗣️ Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach
1️⃣ Icebreaker & General Questions
🔵 P1 & P2: “What’s your graduation stream? Where are you from?”
🔵 P2: “What do you study in Political Science?”
🔵 P2: “Name any theorists a layman might’ve heard of.”
🔵 Candidate: “Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke.”
(Panel laughed, saying they sound alien.)
🔵 Candidate pivoted: “In India, maybe Raja Ram Mohan Roy… or Gandhi as a political theorist.”
(Panel joked they didn’t know Ram Mohan Roy, and only knew Gandhi from currency notes.)
2️⃣ Political Science & General Awareness
🔵 P2: “Why is Gandhi considered a political theorist?”
🔵 Candidate: “Because of his concept of Swaraj.”
🔵 P2: “But wasn’t the idea of Swaraj proposed earlier?”
🔵 Candidate: “True, but Gandhi articulated poorna swaraj as a demand for complete independence, aligning it with global movements like the American War of Independence.”
🔵 P2: “How is the election of the US President different from India’s Prime Minister?”
🔵 P1: “What happens if NOTA wins the majority?”
🔵 Candidate: “The President could call for a coalition or re-election; rules aren’t explicitly defined yet.”
🔵 P2: “Do they declare India’s Prime Minister before elections?”
🔵 P2: “Are China and North Korea democratic?”
🔵 P2: “But they have ‘Democratic’ in their names—how do they justify that?”
🔵 P2: “How can China criticize India’s democracy?”
3️⃣ Problem-Solving & Personal Reflection
🔵 P3: “What problems did you face in college?”
🔵 P3: “How would you resolve them?”
🔵 P3: “What if you don’t have enough staff to help?”
4️⃣ Candidate’s Turn – Asking the Right Questions
🔵 P1: “Do you have any questions for us?”
🍬 Final Moment
✅ The candidate received a toffee from the panel—a lighthearted sign the interview ended on a warm note!
⭐ Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Be ready to defend and simplify your academic discipline for non-specialists.
- ✅ Handle humor or light teasing gracefully—it’s often a test of composure.
- ✅ Use real-world examples to explain theoretical ideas.
- ✅ Anticipate questions linking political theory to current affairs.
- ✅ Always have 1–2 thoughtful questions prepared for the panel.
The above interview experience is based on real candidate interactions. Some details—such as names, locations, and figures—have been modified to protect privacy. The core interview questions and insights remain authentic. These stories are intended for educational purposes and do not claim to represent official views of any institution. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
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