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It's quiz time
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Considered India's toughest business quiz, the Tata Crucible 2006 was held this past week
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The prize money is surely a big incentive Giri Balasubramanium
GOOD MONEY TOO A view of the competition
Delhi, the urban behemoth, once identified with its government babus, small-time traders and most importantly, a predominance of Punjabi culture, has finally embarked on a decisive phase in its cultural and social evolution, by shedding its monolithic character and donning a more cosmopolitan garb, evident from the range of events that have appeared in the its calendar. As if on cue, the third chapter of what is billed as India's toughest business quiz, the Tata Crucible 2006 was organised this past week at Delhi's Indian Institute of Technology. What was conceived as a part of the centenary celebrations of the Tata group has evolved into an annual event, looked forward to by quizzing enthusiasts across the country.
The quiz fiesta is organised by Greycaps Limited, the third largest quizzing company in the country today, on behalf of the Tatas, with Giri Balasubramanium, its head, as the quizmaster.
As Giri, who has been associated with the event since its first year, explains, "This is probably the most sought after event, in terms of business quizzing for professionals, who desire to participate in quiz competitions while working," a statement corroborated by the large number of teams that responded to the online registration drive.
Parallel tracks
As Giri, also known as `Pick Brain' in quizzing circles, elaborates, "The event runs on two parallel tracks: one for employees of the huge Tata conglomerate and the other for participants from other corporations. After the prelims, six teams from each track make it to the regional finals, with a winner from each track booking a place in the national finals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai later this month."
Although the regional rounds are held in eight cities, including Delhi, participants from other parts of the country also make it, as was seen at the Delhi event, with teams from places as far as Jalandhar and Ludhiana coming in.
The two-member team of Suman Nag and Shambhu Rathi, employed in an NGO working in the field of disaster management points out, "Earlier, Delhi was nowhere near cities such as Bangalore and Chennai, where the quizzing circuit is much stronger, and of a higher standard; but of late, it has caught up, and now there is considerable action in this field, with several events taking place."
On the motivation behind their joining the quizzing bandwagon, their ready answer was, "Our love for quizzing, which has carried over from our school days. The Tata Crucible provides a very good platform for working professionals, who dream of cracking a purely business-based quiz event."
Added Giri, "The prize money, at Rs.60,000 for the regional winners and Rs.2 lakhs for the national champions, along with several lucrative gifts thrown in, is surely a big incentive for the participants, whose number has seen a steady increase over the years, with several teams coming year after year."
This was evident in the large crowd gathered at the registration counter; from fresh recruits to experienced pros, some in informal wear and others in their company colours. But all with the same motto - to keep the flag of quizzing flying high in saadi Dilli!
APS MALHOTRA
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