'Head Cruncher' just got bigger

NAGPUR: Quizzes come and go by. But the annual quiz at Hislop College is something every quiz enthusiast eagerly waits for. Aptly named as the 'Head-Cruncher', it is organized by the biotechnology department of Hislop College and attracts a huge crowd. This year was no exception. The unique thing about this quiz is that it is an open challenge to one and all, no restrictions whatsoever.
The college has been conducting this quiz since 2002 and it gets bigger and better each year.Another noteworthy thing about it is the quality of head-crunching questions that are asked by the director of Hislop school of biotechnology and quizmaster Avinash Upadhyay. Questions ranging from 'How did Changez Khan die?' to 'Which company floated the multiplex brand INOX' were asked. The background behind every question was extensively explained by Upadhyay.
"I don't take my question out of some GK book," said the quizmaster. "The questions I put up are usually from something that I have read or heard. And due to this, I usually tell a lot of interesting things related to these questions to my audience."
Interestingly, the audience was able to answer most of Upadhyay's mind boggling questions to the dot!
A 197 teams from educational institutions like Ramdeobaba Kamla Nehru Engineering College, LAD College, Government Medical College, VNIT, Kamla Nehru College, Sindhu Mahavidyalaya, Ambedkar College and many others participated in the event. There were participants even from government organizations such as the National Power Training Institute, individuals and corporate entities.
Eventually, Padmanabhan Pillai and Shivam Sharma emerged as the winners. It was a hat-trick for Sharma who remains the undefeated champion at 'Head-Cruncher'.
Participants in the quiz ranged from 6{+t}{+h} standard student Gautam Tripathi to senior English professor at Hislop College Supantha Bhattacharya.
"I participated in this quiz last year as well," said 13-year-old Gautam. "I didn't qualify but was able to answer some of the questions directed towards the audience. I learn so much interesting things after attending this quiz. I look forward to attending the Head-Cruncher next year."