Patna: The results of the April 2025 edition of A Clue A Day (ACAD) have been unveiled, casting light on a remarkable constellation of talent from India and beyond. Split across four categories—ACAD, ACAD Plus, ACAD Senior, and ACAD Global—the contest once again confirmed its status as a cerebral proving ground for puzzle prodigies and cryptic crossword connoisseurs.
Among school-goers, Anhad, a student of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School in Ludhiana, emerged as the national champion in the ACAD category. Her victory, hard-earned through days of decoding the intricacies of cryptic clues, underscores the growing presence of young minds in competitive puzzling. She was followed by Dhairya Pandey of Don Bosco Academy, Patna, and Samriddhi SS Iyenger from Kendriya Vidyalaya, University of Hyderabad campus.
In the more advanced ACAD Plus division, designed for university-level participants and young professionals, Arnav V Raju from IIT Delhi topped the leaderboard. His sharp analytical thinking saw him rise above formidable challengers like Samruddhi Sinai Salgaonkar from Goa Dental College and Shyam Krishna Shenoy A from Virginia Tech, USA—highlighting the cross-border appeal of this intellectually demanding contest.
The ACAD Senior category, a space for veteran solvers, was led by Dhirendra Tripathi of Ahmedabad, whose years of immersion in wordplay paid off handsomely. Close behind were Anantakrishnan Narayanan from Pune and R Nagendra Prasad of Bangalore, both regular fixtures in India’s crossword circuit.
In the ACAD Global segment, participation from multiple countries brought international flair to the leaderboard. Ramakrishnan Krishnan from India clinched the top global title, followed by Sowmya Ramkumar from Bahrain and Harish Kamath, also from India. The global reach of ACAD has only grown in recent years, drawing participants who relish the linguistic gymnastics of cryptic crosswords.
Held monthly, the ACAD contest is more than just a mental exercise—it has become a community of thinkers bound by logic, language, and a love for lateral thought. With its roots in nurturing reasoning and enriching vocabulary, the competition has quietly built a reputation for academic and cognitive excellence.
