Rural Management GD-PI Preparation

Later Addition (Jan 2020): Diary of Rural Manager ! on the jobs, career prospects, and life of a rural management graduate.

I was an aspirant for the rural management program last year. I applied for both XIMB and IRMA. I tried to write down a possible list of the question that may be asked by the interview panelists. Please customize the questions as per your needs.

01- Describe yourself in 3 words?
02- Tell us about yourself and your family background.
03- What is success according to you?
04- What is an Urban area?
05- Why do you think you are suited for RM?
06- Why you pursued Engineering at graduation?
07- Why do you switch to the IT industry after a degree in mechanical engineering?
08- What is Development? What is development according to you?
09- Why IRMA/XIMB/TISS?
10- Would you like to ask any questions from us? Would you like to ask any questions from us?
11- Why Rural and What is Rural? Why did you think about rural?
12- Why prepare for rural management, not for the AGM course at IIMs?
13- Is there any business plan in your mind and how it will benefit rural people?
14- So how is the campus, when did you reach it? How do you feel about Gujarat/ Orissa/ Mumbai? What is your first impression?
15- Have you done self-analysis. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Briefly outline your strengths? Briefly outline your weaknesses?
16- Why do Companies see bright prospects in Rural India?
17- Why should we select you or special points? 5 reasons why should we select you? Give one reason why should we select you?
18- Give one reason why we don’t select you?
19- Describe the nature of your work experience, responsibilities, and achievements.
20- Have you any experience of scholarly work?
21- Do you think development activities require a lot of money?
22- What is leadership according to you? Can you cite any example from your life where you demonstrated it?
23- Do you think you will be able to switch from a metro city to a rural area? why?
24- Tell us something which is not written in the resume?
25- How will you convince the poor villager to send his children to school? What incentives are on offer if he sends his children to school?
26- What kind of things have you done in the office other than work? What did you learn and understand from this?
27- There's enough aid flowing in. And yet, things aren't turning out the way they should. Why?
28- How do you plan to fund your studies? You will be requiring loans or your family would pay it?
29- How did you come to know about the institute?
30- Why management? Can you not serve a rural population with your technical skills?
31- You can do MBA from another college, and earn in lakhs, why rural management and get less paisa?
32- Why is there a need to work for rural people?
33- How can technology help the rural sector?
34- After working in AC rooms for around 3 years in the software industry, will you be able to able to adjust the demanding job profile of a rural manager?
35- The software industry is a lucrative industry then why do you want to join IRMA?
36- Asked about what I liked in the company you work for?
37- How can you use mech engg knowledge and IT exp in rural development. How will your expertise from your work ex bring about change in a village?
38- How do you relate to the background and how do you plan to apply? What part could technology play in rural development?
39- What can computers do for farmers? Explain the limitations of IT-based initiatives?
40- From where did this rural thing come to your mind?
41- Suppose you are to develop a business model for a village. How would you do it?
42- What do you mean by community service or welfare?
43- What all community work have you done?
44- What do want to convey by research and investment in the rural sector?
45- What would be my first step to develop rural people ... if I were the PM of India?
46- What is the difference between India and Singapore?
47- Gave a situation "Some money is given to a rural person through micro-credit. How will you ensure to get it back?"
48- How education of elders will ensure the development of the rural sector?
49- How will you bring about changes in a village which has been neglected over the years?
50- How will you change the mindset of a farmer towards genetically modified crops and convince him to make the switch?

Brief Idea about - Poverty, Migration, Education Policy, Agrarian policy, E-Governance, HDI, Microfinance, Annual Budget Plan, Poverty Line, GDP, PPP, PCI (Per capita income), Information of Home state and city, Various central and state(home) government schemes, NRLM, NREGA, NRHM, Panchayati Raj, PESA, Free Trade, Fair Trade, ICT (Information and communications technology), Welfare State, Market Economy, PURA, Major Sectors of the Economy, Green Revolution, Rabbi- Kharif Crops, Name of few scheduled tribes, National Food Security Mission, BT crops, Land reforms, AMUL, White Revolution, IMR, MMR, Literacy Rate, Working Population, Disguised, Seasonal and Under Employment, Polio Mission, Chipko Andolan, CRISIL Ratings, Economic Recession, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Five Year Plans, Bottom of Pyramid (BOP), NABARD, BRIC, UID Aadhar, Lokpal Bill, Rainfed Area, Inflation, Cash Crop, Public Distribution System, Rain Water Harvesting, WTO, etc etc...

Read about NGOs like Pratham, Gram Vikas, Goonj, PRADAN, BASIX, SEWA.