Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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Latest WAT Topics for IIMs and MBA Admissions - With the declaration of the MBA entrance exam results, the top B-schools like IIMs, XLRI, IIFT and others have declared the shortlist of candidates who have to appear for the Written Ability Test (WAT) or Group Discussion (GD) rounds. If you are yet to start your preparations and wondering what and how to prepare for WAT, this article of Careers360 brings to you the latest topics for WAT which are trending in major MBA entrances.
The topics of WAT at MBA selection rounds can be a direct or in the form of abstract statements. If you are completely in sync with the current affairs, you can easily tackle the WAT round. Here we bring to you some of the current and hot topics and the crux of the event. Take a look at the events and gather all the information, facts and figures on them in order to substantiate your essay.
10% Quota Bill: EWS Reservation
The Rajya Sabha on 9th Jan, 2019 passed the Constitution (124th amendment) Bill with 165 members voting in favour and 7 against, a day after it was passed in the Lok Sabha. The bill provides 10% reservation to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in the general category in government jobs and education. The 10% quota bill has been introduced in our system to help the economically backward section of people who belong to the upper castes. In other words, if somebody from the “general” category, belongs to the given definition of ‘economically backward’, they will benefit from the bill. Below are a few conditions which have set an economical benchmark-
a. Agricultural land ownership should be less than 5 acres or
b. Family income is 8 lakh or less, per annum
c. Residential house of about 100 square yards in a municipality or
d. A house of about 200 yards in a non-notified colony.
The bill is being opposed due to-
Looking from a political angle, the timing of the bill seems highly convenient to many, with the Lok Sabha elections being just a few months away.
The Supreme Court of India had laid down an upper limit of 50% for the total reservation share. This can only be breached under extraordinary circumstances. With the introduction of the new 10% reservation, the total reservation will go beyond the given limit, while not necessarily qualifying as an “extraordinary circumstance”.
A petition was filed in Supreme court challenging the quota bill saying that the 124th amendment violates several basic features of the Constitution, including the equality code.
Performance & Policies of Modi Regime
The testing time lies ahead in 2019 for the Modi Government as regards to its economic policies and performance of Indian Economy post demonetization, implementation of GST, Make in India and other key reforms brought about to propel the when of economic development faster. With the onset of Parliament Elections in 2019, the last two years have been crucial for the Indian Economy especially when the sitting BJP Government lost the Assembly Elections 2018 in the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Since the Modi Government was appointed in 2014, new schemes, reforms and controversies have been making news almost regularly. Be it the Make in India Drive in 2014 demonetization of 2016, implementation of GST in 2017 or the stock crash of 2018. With so much going on, it is difficult to assess whether India’s economy is headed uphill or downhill.
The economic policies of Modi Government during past few years have not only made great impact on Indian Economy, positively or negatively but have also attracted ire of opposition in each and every step it has taken.
Is women empowerment a hyped issue/ #Metoo
Women Empowerment has become a highly debated social issue not only in India but also around the Globe. Hearing the independent women’s voice and helping the women to ensure that their voices are heard has given rise to #MeToo Campaign, NGOs coming forward to safeguard against the women’s emotion abuse. Government of India has also enacted various rules and regulations within the constitutional framework to improve female representation in different professions. As such not only IIMs but also many other B-schools, other professional institutions, as well as job opportunities in almost all types of male dominated professions including Indian Air Force, Navy and Army have started awarding higher weightage to female candidates for gender diversity.
Education: Literacy Rate Goes up
Social Reforms Empowering Women
Violence Against Women
Women’s Emotional Abuse
Wage Disparity at Work Place
What is cryptocurrency, how does it work and why do we use it?
A crypto currency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography to secure, create and control its transactions. Unlike traditional currencies, which are issued by central banks, crypto currency has no central monetary authority. Bitcoin is the first crypto currency which came to public notice in 2009. Following this a number of other crypto currencies, such as Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Cardano etc. exist in the market. Crypto currency can be exchanged for other currencies, products, and services. In recent months, Economists, Central Bankers and Monetary Experts have expressed their reservations on the future of this currency. Investors and Enthusiasts of this currency are however bullish.
Arguments for the Mission
On its successful completion, India will become the first Asian country to achieve this feat. Only the United States, Europe, and Russia have been able to send probes that have orbited or landed on Mars.
Indian superiority in the world in general and particularly among its ever threatening neighbours will be established.
India has proved that indigenously it can achieve the unexpected at a very low cost as the cost is less than one sixth of the estimated cost of US-NASA mission to be launched later this month.
India will become a role model for space programming and other countries may approach India for launching of such crafts.
New knowledge and more innovative spheres in space programmes will open for the benefit of human being in the fields of communication, identifying problem areas, solar existence. For example, INSAT’s beamed pictures of approaching Phailin cyclone saved thousands of lives.
Arguments against the Mission
The gain is only satisfaction of ego and not other gain is seen. The country is not going to establish a colony on MARS
The Mars Craft ‘Mangalyaan’ has a long journey of 300 days to complete. It will take around a month to go out of Earth’s orbit. If, during this period, it develops any grave technical snag, not only the money spent on it will go down the drain but also it will pose a great threat to Earth as it may crash at some populous area on this human rich planet.
India, in long run, will more than recoup the money, invested in space programmes. The immediate benefits are difficult to predict. They may be intangible but vital for the country. This mission has however, kindled the fire of imagination among the young minds to dream about the possibilities of tomorrow.
Buzzwords such as Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Machine Learning etc. are buzzing around industries and across geographies for some time. While these technological advancements promise a surreal future, prediction of loss of jobs due to human replacement is also expected. Proponents of technological advancements argue that while technology will replace semi and unskilled jobs but in turn it will herald a new era of innovative jobs. History states that technology has been a creator of jobs and has augmented new avenues. The course this time will be same or not is a debatable issue. The prominent technologies that are likely to bring disruption are:
Digital India/Net Neutrality/Free Basics
Net Neutrality is the concept that internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the internet the same, without discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.
Digital India is the campaign by the Indian Government which promises free Internet facilities to everyone, including those belonging to lesser privileged backgrounds. The scheme includes plans to connect rural areas with high speed networks. This scheme will be monitored and administered by the Ministry of Communication and IT.
Recently Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has declared the verdict in support of Net Neutrality which has prohibited any form of differential charging based around content or access to some websites. The order also rules out the platforms like Facebook’s Free Basics, zero-rating plans or special data packs that made access to one app like say WhatsApp or Wikipedia entirely free for users.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his disappointment over the verdict as it quashed the Free Basics in India.
Startup India
Startup India is the campaign launched by the Government of India on January 2016 to promote the entrepreneurial and start up culture in India which will further help in job creation. The campaign also aims at promoting bank financing for start up ventures. The government has launched Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna (PMMY) and Mudra Bank for development and refinancing activities relating to micro units with a refinance Fund of Rs. 200 Billion. India has already seen a boost in the startup culture in India with the emergence of companies like Flipkart, Snapdeal etc.
Other WAT topics for this year are:
India's performance in sports seems very poor. Should government give the authority to cooperate companies to train the athletes. Would it help?
Should corporate be involved in development of sports infrastructure. Give reasons?
Longevity due to medical advancements has adverse effects on the demography.
Ancient war strategies from ancient epics are relevant in modern business.
Case study discussion on Nepotism
Current era is known as "Age of the man" in respect to Usage of natural resources, atmospheric changes, Flora and Fauna. Do you agree or not?
Your opinion on the effect of growth of e commerce sites on retails shops and outlets.
What H1B visa reforms mean for Indian IT companies
Mass IT Layoffs: Truth Or Myth?
What a Fundamental Right to Privacy Means for India
Does India need a bullet train?
Smart Cities – a long road ahead of India.
Hello Aspirant,
I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.
Here's why:
"a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.
"The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.
"an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."
"a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.
"the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."
Hello Kapish
You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.
Here's the link:
CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR:
CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360
Thank You!!!
Hello Divya,
Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.
Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.
In situations like yours, where the CAT 2025 payment has been successfully debited from your bank account but the portal shows the transaction as failed, it is usually due to a technical delay in updating the system. Such discrepancies can sometimes take more than 48 hours to be resolved automatically. It is important to retain all proof of payment, including bank statements, transaction IDs, and any receipts. You should contact the CAT helpdesk again, providing full details of your application and payment. Additionally, keep checking your email for any automated confirmation or ticket numbers. If there is no response within a few days, you can escalate the issue by contacting the IIM Kozhikode admissions office directly through official contact details.
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
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