Bournvita Quiz

The grooming of self-confidence starts with effective oral communication skills.

Echoing the ethos embodied in these words is the popular Bournvita Quiz Contest-a respected name in the quizzing fraternity of India. The mastermind of this contest is Derek O Brien famed quizmaster who has turned quizzing into an art form.

The fact this quiz contest reaches out to almost a million students from 4,800 schools across India is a testimony to the iconic status enjoyed by it. Started as a radio programme in 1972, the event has over the years pioneered and popularised inter-school quizzing in India.

The Bournvita Quiz Contest is in two stages: Stage 1: Ground event-Inter-School Quiz in 100 cities. The city winner qualifies for the semi-final round which is conducted zone-wise (North, South, East, West) through a written round held immediately after the city final. Stage 2: The top 4 schools from each zone get a chance to compete on YouTube and battle it out with Derek OBrien, to be crowned BQC Champs 2015.

As part of Stage 1, the event in Delhi was conducted by the Bournvita quiz team with great aplomb on 15 October 2015 at Sri Sathya Sai International Centre, Lodhi Road.

Ten students of classes VII and VIII of our School participated in this crucial stage along with teams from several other renowned schools from all over Delhi and NCR.

The students were grouped in pairs and teams were formed for the two levels of the quiz. The teams then appeared for a written qualifying round. The depth and range of the questions asked was wide. Some of the challenging questions asked were: After which NASA astronaut, was the first dedicated meteorological satellite of India named? ( Kalpana Chawla) In India, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme certifies which valuable mineral? ( Diamond) In 2010, which Indian cricketer was chosen as a United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador? (Sachin Tendulkar) According to the Guinness World Records, which company is the worlds largest manufacturer of bicycles? (Hero Cycles) The Periplus,a manuscript on navigation, called which river Nammadus? (Narmada) In India, who is the first person to be enumerated in the census? ( President of India)

After combating the highly dynamic qualifier-round six teams made it to the buzzer round. In this very exciting and effervescent round the teams were kept on perpetual alert by the quiz masters. They directed at them brain- teasers based on general knowledge. This objective type catechism covered a wide spectrum of interesting and invigorating questions from myriad fields- sports, music, movies, eateries, cuisine, politics, books, current affairs, etc. The teams also tackled adroitly posers on the first world indigenous games, the Confucius Peace Prize and the Gold Monetisation Scheme. In the visual round the teams had to identify famous personalities.

The teams put up a most interesting and inspiring battle of wits and knowledge, of alertness and alacrity. In fact they returned richer in experience and knowledge, fired with the zeal to hone their quizzing skills.

Submitted by Sarah Khanna.