GENERAL GD TOPICS - MUST FOR ALL

1. Is coalition politics he e to sta!"

#. Does In$ia nee$ a $ictato " %. Is In$ia &o'in( a)a! * o& a sec+la ist state" ,. E$+cation in In$ia - o the lac- o* it .. /hat ails In$ian spo ts" 0. The A(e o* In*o &ation

1. Is Philosoph! 2+st an a &chai theo !"

3. S+ccess is all a4o+t h+&an elations 5. 6o $e less )o l$s - D ea& o 17. 8+alit! is a &!th in In$ia. 11. E$+cation an$ s+ccess - Is the e a co elation" 1#. /e $on9t lea n * o& histo !: )e epeat it 1%. Do )e nee$ a (lo4al police&an" 1,. In$ian 'illa(es - o+ st en(th o o+ )ea-ness" 1.. A( a ian Econo&! in In$ia - 4oon o 4ane 10. I* the e )e e no a &ies in the )o l$...... 11. In$ian c+sto&s - a e )e in a ti&e )a p" 13. ;<o) ( een )as &! 'alle!........;. Is nat+ e pa!in( the p ice " 15. Mana(e&ent E$+cation - Is it necessa ! to s+ccee$ in 4+siness #7. The ole o* NGOs in econo&ics an$ politics #1. NGOs - Do the! se 'e peoples inte ests o a e the! p ess+ e ( o+ps" ##. Death o* Socialis& #%. Role o* )o&en in $e'elop&ent #,. =i$s to$a! a e not )hat the! +se$ to 4e #.. Casteless In$ia - A pipe $ ea& #0. Sho+l$ T a$e Unionis& 4e 4anne$ in In$ia ealit!"

#1. Repeate$ elections - Sho+l$ ta>pa!e s pa! *o it" #3. In$ian 4+ ea+c ac! - *o+n$ation st en(ths o colonial han(o'e s" #5. In In$ia: the )hole is less than the pa ts - Do )e lac- in tea& spi it" %7. Gene ation ? - D i'e s o* o+ *+t+ e o a e the! o+ lost so+ls" %1. Do )e nee$ a c+t in the $e*ense 4+$(et" %#. ;Dot.co&; co&panies - Is the e oo& *o e'e !one"

%%. A ti*icial Intelli(ence - /ill &an 4e e'e

eplace$ 4! &achines"

%,. I* I )e e to choose &! pe son o* the &illenni+&... %.. The enti e )o l$ is a sta(e.... %0. /hen &ana(e s 4eco&e <a&lets... %1. I* Patel )e e o+ *i st P i&e Ministe ....... %3. Mate ialis& - <a'e )e sol$ o+ so+ls to the De'il" %5. @o+9'e co&e a lon( )a!: 4a4! - The ise an$ ise o* *e&inist po)e . ,7. Role o* ethics in to4acco in$+st !: liA+o in$+st ! etc. ,1. Sho+l$ (a&4lin( 4e le(aliBe$ in In$ia" ,#. A e )e +n*it *o De&oc ac!" ,%. S+ 'i'al tools *o the ne) &illenni+& ,,. E>a&inations - has it -ille$ e$+cation ,.. C+lt+ al In'asion th o+(h the ai )a'es ,0. Sho+l$ $octo s 4e t ie$ in Cons+&e Co+ ts ,1. A4o tion an$ E+thanasia - Is it &o all! i(ht *o societ! ,3. A e 4ea+t! pa(eants necessa !" ,5. The ele'ance o* Gan$his& to$a! .7. In$ia an$ the /TO .1. Di$ In$ia han$le the hi2ac- iss+e p ope l!" .#. Is E-Co&&e ce the 4est thin( *o In$ia

Desc iption---------------

Is coalition politics he e to sta!" Nature of coalition politics. Indecisiveness of elections. No particular party is getting the peoples mandate. Advantage of coalition politics in enabling formation of government. Flipside of coalition politics- a party with a handful of seats become powerful. Government falls before tenure. Fresh elections each time. Suggest a way out of this problem, for e.g. once a party pledges support to a coalition, it will not withdraw its support until it has watched a governments performance for at least three years...etc !he future -will it only have coalitions ,emerging political trends...etc... Does In$ia nee$ a $ictato " !he current political structure. "rawbac#s of it. $ureaucracy, layers in decision ma#ing, anarchy. "ictatorship would mean centrali%ed power and faster decision ma#ing. $ut, country run on whims and fancies of an individual. Freedom on individuals could be clamped..etc....&resent a balanced argument for and against and ta#e up your position on the issue. Is In$ia &o'in( a)a! * o& a sec+la ist state" "efine secularism. 'onstitution calls our country such a state, but how things have changed over the last () years. Spread of nationalism. "ivision into ma*ority and minority groups-e.g. benefits given to minority groups perceived as a threat by others. +ole of non-tolerant neighbors in fuelling fundamentalism. It is a passing phenomenon. ,e have the national character to overcome this....&oints along these lines can be discussed. E$+cation in In$ia-o the lac- o* it. "iscuss current education system. "iscuss our sociological structure. &overty which forces #ids to drop out to supplement family income. -icious circle-poverty due to lac# of education and vice versa. Suggest solutions to get out of this-for e.g., governments are doing a commendable *ob with the midday meal schemes but we need more of such efforts. Going down further, why restrict it to government alone. ,hy can/t private people, NG0s and other voluntary bodies come forward to do the same. 1ow about tapping corporate funds for such causes.....etc..... /hat ails In$ian spo ts" A nation of 2() million, we fail to produce great champions barring the occasional -ishwanathan Anand or Geet Sethi. Sports system steeped in bureaucracy. 0verriding popularity of cric#et leading to neglect in other sports. !raditionally , sports not accorded much importance by us as a career. Need to develop sports from the primary school level-3catch em young3. -arious incentives to be given to budding sportsmen li#e academic credits, sports in lieu of a few other sub*ects etc. "evelopment of sports infrastructure, ma#ing it amenable and affordable...etc..... The A(e o* In*o &ation. !oday a plethora of sources to provide information-Newspapers, radio, !elevision, Internet etc. Information available at the touch of a button. Greater decision ma#ing power to the individual. Also easier decision ma#ing for the individual. Information is the #ey to ones success today. 0ne who is more informed forges ahead. !he flipside-information over#ill. At times deciding is tough due to too much information ...etc..... Is Philosoph! 2+st a & chai theo !" 4!his is an e5ample of an abstract topic which is thrown up to students once in a while by the

e5aminers6 !al# what you #now about this topic. !al# of its relevance in day to day life 4or irrelevance if you feel so...6. !al# of its influence in literature e.g. Influence of 7ant on the romantic poets especially ,ordsworth or of $acon , -oltaire et al on the 38nlightenment 9period etc. !al# of its influence in politics e.g. Influence of Niets%che on 1itler and subse:uent genocide during Na%i regime etc. !al# of ethics and morals and their importance in life. tal# of Indian philosophy. !he Gita. "iscuss whether we use any of these in our lives and their importance in molding our values...etc... S+ccess is all a4o+t h+&an elations !he most important s#ill for success in to have people on your side. 0ne can get a lot of wor# done by superiority and hierarchy but one cannot be a leader of men unless one maintains e5cellent human relations. Its importance not only in professional life but personal life too. 7nowledge and e5pertise does one no good if one cannot maintain proper human relations...etc..... 6o $e less )o l$s-D ea& o ealit!"

Globali%ation of business. 0pening up of the various economies. 'ross cultural e5changes. ;ore and more people getting an opportunity to wor# in different lands among different peoples and absorbing a bit of their values and culture. !his leads to greater tolerance and understanding of others< problems. !he other side-people despite all this have nationalistic and regionalist chauvinism. A world divided into first, second and third worlds. &eople still tal# of 3their3 economy and not world economy. 8urope has shown a step in this direction with 8= but its feasibility remains to be seen. So while people clamor for globali%ation, they still thin# only in terms of their national interests...etc... 8+alit! is a &!th in In$ia. !he Indian products and manufacturing techni:ues. ,hy are we unable to sustain against global competition. 0ur mindset towards :uality. Indian attitude of 3chalta hai3 which leads to an undemanding customer which in turn lets people get away with substandard products and services. !oday competition is forcing our industry to adhere to global standards so we are getting there in terms of :uality. 85amples of our software industry which is recogni%ed for its ability to meet global standards etc. Since the topic is general, we can e5trapolate it to our :uality of life-the air, the water , the facilities we have, the infrastructure we have, the services we get and put up with ....etc...... E$+cation an$ s+ccess-Is the e a co elation" !his is a topic which provides ample scope for dialectics. 0ne can argue for and against it. 0ne of the best e5amples is $ill Gates who went on to become the richest man in the world despite dropping out of hid education. 'loser home we have the e5ample of "hirubhai Ambani. ,hat a person learns and what he really wants to do have no correlation many a times. A person succeeds only if he li#es what he does. !he argument for education will be that , in practice, it is your mar#s and :ualifications that opens doors for you. ,hile one can become successful without education, education brings about richness in one<s life. 0ne is able to appreciate many facets of life due to the e5tended #nowledge that education provides. It opens a new window and provides a different perspective towards things, ability to distinguish between ethical and unethical, moral and amoral ....etc....... /e $on9t lea n * o& histo !: )e epeat it +elevance of history. +eminder of our past telling us what to do and what not to do. Still we have numerous e5amples which have occurred again and again for e.g. !ime and again we have had innumerable wars and bloodshed , 1itler made the same mista#e as Napoleon and Napoleon in turn the same ones as Ale5ander and all the three wanted to rule the world, countries ma#ing similar mista#es in world war II as they did during world war I ....etc.... $ut despite this there are also many e5amples which have not been repeated4 or rather not brought out to the fore as they were not repeated6. !his could mean we have indeed learnt from history and

avoided those mista#es. In fact that has been the purpose of teaching history so as not to repeat them. !oday fear of war is directly due to the record history places before us...etc.... Do )e nee$ a (lo4al police&an" !he role of some countries in 3disciplining3 others. Assuming on itself to decide what is right and what is wrong for the whole world. $ullying others into submission by its sheer economic power. 0verriding the brief of world bodies in world politics Suggest alternatives li#e more authority to world bodies li#e =N etc which is more representative of everyone<s interests. ;ore assertiveness to be shown by other nations to such policing nations. ;a#ing more nations self reliant so that we have less of 3$ig $rother3 Syndrome....etc..... In$ian 'illa(es-o+ st en(th o o+ )ea-ness" A typical Indian villages and its myriad problems. >ac# of basic amenities and infrastructure. their contribution to the economy both in goods and services vis-a-vis their urban counterparts. they could be an even bigger drivers of our economy if they are made self reliant by improving infrastructure and reducing the general disparities between cities and villages ?8tc A( a ian Econo&! in In$ia-4oon o 4ane Spea#ing for the topic one can argue the following- time and again it has made us self reliant in food. !his increases our bargaining power tremendously in the world economy. Internally also food prices can be #ept low and this will have a direct bearing on inflation. !his would bolster the economy and provide us freedom from world bodies and other nations. Against the topic-agrarian economy is at the mercy of climatic conditions. A bad summer, monsoon, or winter could bring the nation down. It will have a spiral effect as increased prices will lead to inflation and problems associated with it. ,orld bodies and other nations will dictate terms?etc.... I* the e )e e no a &ies in the )o l$...... ,ishful thin#ing indeed@ It would be the #ey element for world peace. !here will be no instrument to wage a war. It will also remove fear and distrust among various nations. ,e won/t have a defense budget. !his means more funds channeli%ed into other productive areas. +educed terrorism and very little separatist groups $ut the disadvantage could be imposition by one group, anarchy,laisse% faire politics, lawlessness? etc.. In$ian c+sto&s-a e )e in a ti&e )a p" Some undesirable practices over a long time. "owry- prevalent even among the educated class, Satirecent e5ample of a lady in North India, 'hild marriages-still prevalent in bac#ward areas etc. +eason on why do we still follow such customs. !raditional sub*ugation of women-present even in big cities among upper class society. Allied problems due to such customs-intolerance, fundamentalism, e5ploitation, etc Suggest ways out of this li#e education the masses, indicating the outmodedness and irrelevance of such practices today...etc... ;<o) ( een )as &! 'alle!........CA e )e pa!in( the p ice o* nat+ e" As everyone tries to be one up on the other in the race for industriali%ation, deforestation is ta#ing place on a large scale. !his effect is more pronounced in developing countries. It has made a perceptible difference in the last () years with rising temperatures. Global warming. Greenhouse effect. 0%one layer depletion. 8l Nino type effects. Similarly it has affected other living beings-both

plant and animals driving many of them to e5tinction.8tc... $ut people have reali%ed it now. A lot of NG0s and voluntary bodies are wor#ing on it. In fact there is even a Greens party in Germany which has been winning elections using the environmental plan#...etc.... Mana(e&ent E$+cation-Is it necessa ! to s+ccee$ in 4+siness !his is again a topic where we can have for and against arguments. !here are many e5amples of great visionaries and leaders in business who have succeeded without any formal management education. &eople have simply done it by their will, passion and desire. $ut management education has also produced many bigwigs. A management education gives a perspective towards analysis and problem solving. It enables one to ta#e decisions in a scientific mannerA it enables you to handle the stress and strains of a demanding *ob...etc... The ole o* NGOs in econo&ics an$ politics NG0s have become very powerful today. !hey have a ma*or role to play in politics as they swerve people/s opinion. !hey en*oy a lot of support and goodwill of the people. !hey can also ma#e or brea# a business. !hey protect the interests of the people and represent a collective voice against anything that goes against their interests. ;ost of the times NG0s are more capable in securing a fair deal for the general good. Also the NG0s have shown that they are in a better position to handle social issues than most governments ...etc.

So&e Othe s GD Topics

1. Indian cultural values have nothing to fear from globalization 2. The impact of economic reforms has been that rich people have become richer rich and poor people poorer. 3. Management education is only for the rich. 4. Reservation in parliament for women. 5. The US dollar is no longer a stable currency. 6. The impact of Internet on India. 7. Behind every man there is a woman. 8. Politicians are not interested in the future of our country. 9. Wisdom does not come with age. 10. Corruption is the main outcome of democracy. 11. Is the consumer really the King in India? 12. Globalization verses Nationalism. 13. Conditional access system for cable TV watchers: boon or bane? 14. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance for protecting if not encouraging corruption. 15. Commercialization of health care: good or bad? 16. Should agricultural subsidies be stopped? 17. Do we lag behind China? 18. Who says MNCs are superior to Indian companies? 19. Food comes first, ethics later! 20. To survive in the civilized world one needs to be a hypocrite. 21. Money is the sixth sense without which one can't enjoy the other five. 22. English language as a mode of instruction in primary level. 23. Men and Women are different. 24. Given the present state of affairs, India will remain a developing country forever. 25. IIM's and IIT's encourage only brain drain. 26. Whether reservation to women is beneficial? 27. There is no alternative to Pokhran nuclear test in present scenario.

28. Modern cinema is a boon to Indian society. 29. Should youth indulge in politics? 30. US war on Iraq-justified or not. 31. Role of UN in peacekeeping. 32. Position of Women in India compared to other nations. 33. Environment Management. 34. Is China better than India in software? 35. Should SONIA Gandhi be made the PM 36. BPOs in INDIA 37. Govt contribution to IT 38. Will punch lines rule the Advertisements? 39. Premarital sex 40. India or west, which is the land of opportunities 41. Water resources should be nationalized 42. "BALANCE BETWEEN PROFESSIONALISM AND FAMILY" 43. Is it necessary to ban COCOCOLA in India? 44. About Hockey being the primary game in India. 45. Cricket should be banned or not. 46. Present state of Indian Cricket team. 47. Love marriage/Arranged marriage. 48. Advantages of Co-education. 49. How to deal with international terrorism. 50. Is peace and non-violence outdated concepts? 51. A Unipolar World spells disaster for underdeveloped countries like India. 52. What shall we do about our ever-increasing Population? 53. Corruption is the price we pay for Democracy. 54. Foreign Television Channels are destroying our culture. 55. What India needs is a Dictatorship. 56. With media publishing and telecasting trivia, censorship is the need of the hour. 57. Kaun Banega Krorepati is less about knowledge but more about money and personality. 58. Beauty contests degrade womanhood 59. The rise of regional blocs threatens independent nations like India 60. Six billion and one bronze! 61. Is dependence on computers a good thing? 62. Should the public sector be privatized? 63. Is India a Soft Nation? 64. Value based politics is the need of the hour 65. Religion should not be mixed with politics 66. How to deal with high oil prices 67. Our cricketers are not to blame for match fixing 68. Why can't we be world players in industry as we are in software? 69. Multinational corporations: Are they devils in disguise? 70. Should there be limits on artistic freedom (the controversy on Fire). 71. Should there be private universities? 72. Do banning fashion shows and New Year parties save our culture? 73. Are Big Dams Necessary? 74. A Gandhian State selling liquor is an anomaly 75. Bride burning and dowry may look bad, but are an integral part of India. 76. The education system needs serious reforms 77. The impact of MTV on our psyche 78. Showing Violence and Crimes should not be allowed in films and on television. 79. Let us legalize gambling 80. The objective of Management is to maximize profits 81. Do professional managers have a chance in our family run businesses? 82. The Internet is an exercise in hype 83. Smaller businesses and start-ups have more scope for professional growth.

84. Dot com or doubt com? 85. The Wheel is Turning Round and Round 86. There is no right way to do a wrong thing 87. Group Task: How can we have Mount Everest in India? 88. Do Beauty and Brains Go Together? 89. Marriage is a social trap 90. Secularism has become a tool to justify the wrongs done by the minorities. 91. Media is a mixed blessing/How ethical is media? 92. To fight Aids, stop being coy about sex education. 93. What should India strive for- Westernization or modernization? 94. Developing countries need trade, not aid. 95. Flexibility of labor laws is the key to attracting more Foreign Direct Investment. 96. Voters, not, political parties are responsible for the criminalization of politics. 97. The voters are required to be well informed and educated about their candidates so that they can elect the right aspirant by their own assessment. 98. India should go for the presidential form of democracy. 99. In our economic matters, there is an excessive tendency towards the thinking rather than doing. 100. Government should clean its own hands before pointing finger at the private sector for corruption. 101. Is the NPA ordinance too harsh? 102. Reforms have to grow up. 103. Is the consumer really the king in India? 104. If India is poorly governed, the reason is that we have designed our system of governance for protecting, if not encouraging, corruption? 105. Commercialization of health care: Good or Bad? 106. Is the US economy headed the Japanese economy way? 107. Economic freedom not old fashioned theories of development will lead to growth and prosperity. 108. Markets left to them encourage greed. 109. For globalization to succeed in India people must be able to see what is in it for them. 110. Should businessmen run the finance ministry 111. Should important services like transport be left to market forces? 112. Is there any point in having a business strategy when the world changes from month to month? 113. Is the patents bill good for India? 114. Globalization is good for developing countries 115. Public sector being a guarantor of job security is a myth 116. Is industry less growth here to stay? 117. Capitalism is a very flawed system but the others are so much worse? 118. How can business get rid of the bad name that it has earned? 119. Government pumping money into the economy is not the solution for our economic problems 120. Business ethics are no longer a luxury for corporate but a necessity? 121. How should privatization proceeds be utilized? 122. Will Mumbai's film industry ever evolve into a truly modern corporatized one? 123. Why not use a brand index to measure national prosperity?. 124. What we need to reduce scams is better regulatory bodies. 125. War rhetoric is misplaced in a country like India which is trying to globalize its economy. 126. Trade can help the poor? 127. Steal a few lakhs and you're a criminal. Steal a few hundred cores and you become an industrialist. 128. Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never match those learnt from experience 129. Democracy is hampering India progress http://www.ChetanaSinterview.com 130. Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state 131. Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour 132. Joint family is a blessing in disguise. 133. Higher education should be made possible only for those who can pay for it. 134. The weaker sex is the weakness of the stronger sex. 135. Women cannot successfully combine both career and home. 136. Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense. 137. Money is required to earn more money.

138. Classical Music Heritage And The Growing Pop-Culture 139. Nice Guys Finish Last 140. All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy 141. Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy? 142. Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan? 143. Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent 144. East Is East & West Is Where All The Action Is': Mark Twain 145. India Needs Gujral Doctrine For Better International Relations 146. Doctors' Accountability To Improve Health-Care 147. Universal Disarmament Is A Must 148. Indian Cricket Team Shouldn't Be Allowed To Play Abroad