Patna: The National Inter-College Crossword Expedition (NICE) 2025 began on a high note this week, with the launch of its Practice Round drawing enthusiastic participation from students across India’s higher education institutions.
The preliminary round, designed to familiarise participants with the competition format, has already seen standout performances from seasoned solvers. Topping the leaderboard is Arnav V Raju, a B.Tech student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, with a remarkable score of 500,000 points. Arnav, who recently won both the April edition of A Clue A Day (ACAD) Plus and the Lady Irwin College Crossword Contest, continues to set the pace for the competition.
In second place is Samruddhi Sinai Salgaonkar, a Bachelor of Dental Surgery student from Goa Dental College and a recognised name in the NICE circuit. She is followed by Aswath Govindarajan, a B.Tech student from SASTRA University, Tamil Nadu. The top five is rounded out by Ashish C T from IIT Madras and Shivani Kumari from Government Engineering College, Vaishali, Bihar.
Widening Appeal
Participation in the Practice Round reflected the growing appeal of competitive crossword solving across India’s academic landscape. Gujarat led in active participation, followed closely by Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu.
Bihar topped the registration charts, indicating sustained interest in the initiative. The other leading states in terms of registrations were Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
About the Contest
First launched in 2022, NICE is a national initiative co-organised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), IIT Madras, IIM Mumbai, and the non-profit organisation Extra-C. The event is designed to promote lateral thinking and linguistic aptitude among college students and has grown into one of India’s most recognised academic contests in the puzzle-solving sphere.
With the Practice Round now complete, focus shifts to the competitive stages of NICE 2025. Students and enthusiasts alike await the next round with anticipation, as the intellectual challenge ramps up in the coming weeks.
