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Manavta
20 December, 2024
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“The night is darkest just before the dawn” Remember this scene from the movie ‘The Dark Knight’? This quote perfectly resonates with aspiring candidates gearing up for the group discussion round of their MBA admission. GD, or group discussion, is a crucial yet unpredictable part of your MBA admission. It is a structured evaluation method to assess the candidate’s analytical thinking, communication skills, and ability to work in a team efficiently. Like Gotham’s citizens navigating through chaos, an MBA aspirant must handle GD round smartly. Understand the common GD topics, build a strategy and rise through this crucial round.
What topics shall be covered in your upcoming group discussion for MBA admission? This blog has covered the most commonly used GD topics for you to start your preparation.
A group discussion, or GD, is essential to the MBA admission process. It can make or break your chance of admission to a top business school. A group discussion is a methodical and purposeful process of structured and formal exchange of views on a particular topic. All participating group members must listen to each other and use clear and persuasive language to convey their message. The MBA admissions committee assesses your knowledge through group discussions and analyses your body language, general awareness, and confidence level.
For MBA admission, the group discussion is divided into three sections: introduction, discussion, and conclusion. The first section shall check your awareness of the issue and lay the concepts on the table. The second phase is the real discussion, which evaluates your leadership qualities. So, don’t focus on dominating the discussion; instead, lead the discussion into a healthy conversation. The conclusion stage is essential as it checks your understanding of the situation and your problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Now, let’s read what skills are judged in a group discussion.
Group discussion is a very effective method to assess your capability to work in a team. If you are wondering which characteristics are evaluated in MBA group discussions, here’s a quick view:
Effectiveness in speech
Fluency
Listening power
Confidence level
Leadership and collaboration ability
Problem-solving skills
Presentation and creativity
Analytical and reasoning skills
Team spirit
Subject knowledge and relevance
Capacity to make justifiable decisions
Social behaviour and courtesy
As a prospective MBA candidate, you must pass the GD and interview rounds held by the institutes. After the announcement of the result, you will receive the admission confirmation. If you are preparing for the group discussion round, you should prepare yourself to discuss the four kinds of topics, including:
Now, let’s discuss the prospective topics you can get from each category in detail.
| Topic 1 | Topic 2 |
|---|---|
| Union budget of India: Key features | The New Education Policy |
| Cryptocurrencies and NFTs: Real deal or a bubble? | Uniform civil code |
| Bio-war and bio-weapons are new means of world supremacy | Should there be a limit to media freedom? |
| Indo-Russia relations | Make in India vs make for India |
| Jal jeevan mission | Why is individual data privacy important? |
| Online education: Advantages and Disadvantages | Coal crisis in India |
*Please note that current affairs topics change as per the regular happenings, so keep track of the news to stay updated.
Here are some of the common topics for business and economy discussions during an MBA group discussion:
| Topic 1 | Topic 2 |
|---|---|
| Is India ready for a cashless economy? | Is minimum support price a political stunt? |
| Is ‘Startup India’ boosting entrepreneurship? | Initial Public Offering (IPO) |
| How is the falling rupee impacting the Indian economy? | Will India remain way behind China? |
| Blockchain technology: Pros & cons | Surcharge on income tax for super-rich |
| Ways in which technology is impacting the banking sector | Views on YONO |
| Agriculture vs manufacturing industry in India | Views on merging the general and railway budget |
Make sure you read about these popular social issues:
| Topic 1 | Topic 2 |
|---|---|
| Environment and us | Discuss the present education system in India |
| Crime against women | Share your views on retirement homes |
| Discuss the climate change summit | Women empowerment and gender justice |
| Is social media a boon or a stumbling block to society? | Free metro ride for women: Is it a political gimmick? |
| Does browsing at the workplace affect productivity? | Smart city project: Discuss their usefulness |
Here are some popular group discussion topics:
| Topic 1 | Topic 2 |
|---|---|
| Which is more important: innovation or invention? | Is it important to think big and dream big? |
| Is work-life balance a myth? | Problem unite us, and religion divides us |
| Hard work vs smart work—your take | Can women be better managers than men? |
| Women are better multi-taskers. Agree or disagree? | We need more managers than managers; discuss |
| Ethics or profit? Which one do you prefer? | First impression is the last impression? Do you believe it? |
| Leader vs Manager | People don’t fail, they simply give up |
There are several rules regarding the group discussion round for MBA admission. Before entering the hall, you must know the right approach for the GD. So we have discussed the do’s and don’ts of the group discussion below to prepare you beforehand.
| Do’s | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Think before you speak | Avoid repeating your points |
| If you don’t understand the topic, wait and see the inputs from the debate. Then, accordingly, add to your piece. | When facing disagreement, don’t get anxious or nervous. |
| Support your arguments with facts and figures. | Do not communicate informally. |
| Keep your points concise and clear. Do not linger on with the same content. | Do not show any signs of lethargy or any gesture which shows your disinterest. |
| Use crisp vocabulary | Avoid sitting in a sedentary manner |
| If you are well-versed in the topic, start the conversation. | Make sure you are not simply arguing with other group members. |
| Stay calm and adopt a friendly attitude. | Avoid speaking between other member’s speech. |
| Make frequent eye contact. | Refrain from asking pointless questions. |
Let us give you quick tips to shine in the group discussion.
Practice before the game starts
Work extra on your speaking and reasoning skills
Wear your confidence when you speak
Maintain your body language
Don’t forget to dress professionally
Be formal; it’s not your WhatsApp group chat
It would be better to start the conversation
Be an active listener
Remain polite
Consider your language
Excelling in the group discussion round for MBA admission requires more than just knowledge. It is about presenting your thoughts with confidence and clarity. Remember, politeness and body language play a crucial role here. Therefore, to ace the GD, you must understand the common GD topics. It would give you an edge over other candidates in the MBA admission. The only trick here is to stay updated, practice frequently, and use a structured discussion approach.
Make sure you read the current affairs and social issues and have a good grasp to make a confident argument. The real magic is to be confident. All the best.
