New Delhi: The North Zonal round of the prestigious National Inter College Crossword Expedition (NICE-2025) was hosted at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, drawing some of the finest young crossword enthusiasts from across northern India. The day-long contest blended intellectual challenge with the charm of wordplay, keeping both participants and the audience engaged.
After a tough written preliminary, six college teams advanced to the on-stage finals, conducted by celebrated cruciverbalist Vinayak Ekbote, who served as the CrossMaster. Known for his wit and mastery of cryptic crosswords, Ekbote kept the contest lively with a demanding set of clues.
In a close battle of words and wits, Isha and Mihir from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) took the first prize, followed by Adya Singh from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, in second place, while Seerat and Pranika from IIT Delhi finished third.
The event also featured the city round of the National Inter-School Cryptic Crossword Contest (CCCC-2025), which showcased the talent of budding wordsmiths. Amjad and Divya of BCM Arya School, Ludhiana, emerged winners, while their schoolmate Abhishek Dhanda secured second place. Medhansh and Vedhas from Kendriya Vidyalaya, JNU campus, won third.
The contest was attended by dignitaries including Vivek Singh, Chairman of RERA Bihar and Chief Mentor of Extra-C, and IIT Delhi’s Prof. Tapan Nayak. Singh lauded the rising popularity of crosswords in India and their role in sharpening analytical abilities among students. Prof. Nayak praised the participants’ intellect and said such platforms nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills in young people.
Organised under the aegis of Extra-C, the NICE and CCCC contests have grown into premier national platforms celebrating linguistic creativity and logical reasoning. The IIT Delhi round once again highlighted the growing enthusiasm for crossword culture in India’s academic institutions.
