Patna: The National Inter-College Crossword Expedition (NICE) 2026 was inaugurated at the auditorium of Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) on Wednesday, bringing together students, educators and senior government officials for the launch of the national-level competition.
The event was jointly organised by CIMP and Extra-C with support from Bihar Foundation and Central Bank of India. Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) attended the programme as the chief guest.
Dignitaries Attend Inaugural Ceremony
The inaugural session was attended by Vivek Kumar Singh, Chairman of RERA Bihar; Deepak Kumar Singh, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to the Governor; Kundan Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Industries, Government of Bihar, and Chief Executive Officer of Bihar Foundation; Rajeev Ranjan Sinha, Zonal Head, Central Bank of India; Rana Singh, Director of CIMP; and Kumod Kumar, Chief Administrative Officer of CIMP.
The ceremony began with the arrival of the Governor, followed by the National Song and the National Anthem. The dignitaries lit a ceremonial lamp, and Rana Singh presented saplings to the guests as a symbol of respect and sustainability.
CIMP Highlights Educational Value of Crosswords
Welcoming the gathering, Rana Singh said the Governor had played a key role in promoting crossword learning as part of the university curriculum. He also noted that CIMP has been nominated as one of the 24 lead knowledge institutions by NITI Aayog.
According to Singh, crossword competitions help students strengthen analytical ability, problem-solving skills, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity.
During the event, the dignitaries unveiled the NICE 2026 souvenir and the official event T-shirts, formally launching the national initiative.
Sponsors and Officials Back the Initiative
Rajeev Ranjan Sinha said Central Bank of India was the principal sponsor of NICE 2026 and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting initiatives focused on youth development.
Kundan Kumar announced that Bihar Foundation would partner with NICE 2026 under the themes of “Bonding, Branding and Business”. He also acknowledged the contribution of Vivek Kumar Singh in promoting cryptic crosswords.
Speaking at the event, Vivek Kumar Singh said cryptic crosswords enhance articulation, leadership qualities and lateral thinking. He traced the initiative’s journey from its beginnings in Patna to organising the World Cryptic Crossword Championship in London, with future finals planned in the United States and Canada. He described the inclusion of crossword learning in the academic curriculum as a significant milestone.
Deepak Kumar Singh said the initiative originated through Swagat magazine in 2000. He informed the audience that on July 4, crossword was officially notified as a Skill Enhancement Course (SEC) for undergraduate students.
Governor Stresses Independent Thinking in AI Era
In his keynote address, Governor Syed Ata Hasnain praised the student anchors for their presentation and compared crossword-solving with mountaineering, saying both require persistence, discipline and determination rather than shortcuts.
He said that in the era of artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, solving crosswords remains important for developing 360-degree thinking, lateral reasoning and independent judgement. Drawing on his military experience, he likened crossword-solving to the “manoeuvre philosophy” used in strategy, where success depends on innovative thinking instead of routine methods.
The Governor said such intellectual exercises contribute to character building, self-confidence and leadership development among students.
Patna City Round Winners Announced
Following the inauguration, the Patna City Round of NICE 2026 was held with participation from students representing colleges and universities.
The winners were:
- First Prize: Adya Singh, St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi
- Second Prize: Tanbi Kumari, Patna Law College, Patna
- Third Prize: Satya Prakash and Sunny Kumar, Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP)
Organisers congratulated the winners and participants, expressing confidence that the competition would continue to encourage critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving among students through cryptic crosswords.
The programme concluded with the rendition of the Bihar Geet, followed by a vote of thanks to the dignitaries, participants, sponsors and organisers.
