IIM Calcutta clinched the overall trophy in the 21st edition of Nihilanth, the annual inter-IIT IIM quiz fest, which ended on 5 March and where it was the home team. For 3 days, over 400 participants from India’s premier institutes battled it out over 7 quizzes set by marquee quizmasters like Major Chandrakant Nair, Venkatesh Srinivasan, Ria Chopra, Samanway Banerjee and others. The quiz themes included India, Sci-biz-tech, MELA (music, entertainment, literature, art), TLC (travel-living-culture) as well as Sports - an event that went on overnight with finalists greeting the sunrise, as is tradition every year.
Last year, Nihilanth was held in IIM Ahmedabad, with IIT Madras winning the title, and IIM Calcutta coming in second place. This year, IIM Calcutta won the overall tally with 263 points - 6 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze, while IIT Madras came in 2nd with 192 points, and IIT Kharagpur in 3rd with 97 points.
Commenting on the event, Major Chandrakant Nair, one of India’s best QMs, said "I've been hosting the all-nighter Sports Quiz at Nihilanth for 10 years now. It is easily amongst the most unique events of its kind in India and one needs to be there to experience the buzz something like this can generate. The General Quiz at Nihilanth, on the other hand, is arguably the most prestigious quizzing assignment on the Indian college quizzing circuit. It was an absolute pleasure witnessing 300 of the best quizzers in India attempting it in a packed hall."
The bid for next year’s Nihilanth will be coordinated by the IIM Calcutta Quiz Club, which itself boasts of a 50+ year legacy as one of the oldest clubs on campus. Here’s looking forward to the next edition of India’s most anticipated college quiz fest.
