New Delhi: The much-anticipated grand finale of the National Inter College Crossword Expedition (NICE) 2025 began on Monday at the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi, bringing together some of the sharpest young cruciverbalists from across India.
The two-day finale opened with written preliminaries and on-stage Extra-C rounds, where 23 teams — qualifiers and wild card entrants alike — tested their wit and wordplay against each other. Representing premier institutions including IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Madras, St Stephen’s College, JNU, LNCT, SASTRA, BITS Pilani, Gaya College of Engineering and Saharsa College of Engineering, the competition was as diverse as it was intense.
From the preliminaries, 12 teams advanced to the quarter-finals. The shortlist included contenders from IIT Guwahati, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, BITS Pilani, SASTRA and Krea University. Solo contestants such as Adya Singh of St Stephen’s College and Aditya Sharma of Krea University also secured places, highlighting the blend of team effort and individual brilliance.
The contest was conducted by Ochintya Sharma, whose energetic quizzing style kept both participants and the audience engaged. Serving as arbiters were veteran crossword experts Ramki Krishnan and Vinayak Ekbote, ensuring a fair and rigorous evaluation of answers.
Adding weight to the occasion was the presence of several dignitaries, including AICTE chairman T.G. Sitaram, RERA-Bihar chairman Vivek Singh, agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani, AICTE member secretary Shyama Rath and AICTE director Amit Dutta. Their attendance underscored the value of fostering intellectual competitions that develop critical thinking and problem-solving among India’s youth.
The competition now moves into its final day, with two semi-finals leading up to the grand finale and the prize distribution ceremony. The winning team will be crowned champions of NICE 2025.
Launched as a collaborative initiative by AICTE, IIT Madras, IIM Mumbai and Extra-C, the National Inter College Crossword Expedition has grown into India’s premier crossword event for college students, blending intellectual challenge with the thrill of competition.
