ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: The seventh edition of Odisha’s premier quizzing event, Orissa POST Mettle Meet-2025, commenced with great enthusiasm Saturday at Hotel Swosti Premium, drawing participation from over 80 leading educational institutions from the state and beyond. Following a challenging preliminary round, 16 top teams—eight each from junior and senior categories—secured their spots in the Grand Finale scheduled for Sunday. Adding a new dimension to the competition this year, teams from West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh joined the fray, making Mettle Meet a national-level event.
Welcoming the participants, Orissa POST Chief Executive Adyasha Satpathy said, “We started Mettle Meet to give a platform to brilliant minds. It’s exciting to see a nationwide growing interest in the event. I wish all participants the best and hope to see them again in 2026.” Orissa POST Editor Tathagata Satpathy inspired the young quizzers, saying, “Be the best version of yourself. For me, all of you are winners today. I hope this quizzing experience will help you beyond academics.”
The venue buzzed with energy from early morning, as participants arrived from various parts of Odisha and the three neighbouring states with many enduring overnight journeys. The finalists in the junior category are SAI International School, KIIT International School, ST Paul’s School, Rourkela, Loyola School, Bhubaneswar, Model Public School, DAV Kalinga Nagar, DAV CDA, Cuttack and DAV Unit VIII (the defending champions). Finalists in the senior category are IIM Calcutta, AIIMS Bhubaneswar (defending champions), KIIT University, NISER, Bhubaneswar, IIT Kharagpur, XLRI, Jamshedpur, National Law University, Cuttack, and VIMSAR, Burla. Renowned quizmaster Ajay Poonia returned to host the event, delivering a high-octane experience. “I expected strong preparation, and the students exceeded that. The response has been fantastic,” he said.
The prelims featured 35 questions per category, testing the quizzers’ knowledge across politics, sports, history, global affairs, health, and culture, with audio-visual rounds enhancing the experience. A wager point system was introduced in the junior category, where students could wager 1, 2, or 4 points per answer, with partial penalties for incorrect answers. Likewise, in the senior category, a streak-based bonus system, where correct answers in a streak of 3, 4, or 5 could earn bonus points, only if claimed correctly, was introduced.
All eyes are now on Sun day’s Grand Finale, where AIIMS Bhubaneswar and DAV Unit VIII aim to defend their titles, while first-time entrants IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, and XLRI Jamshedpur hope to claim the crown.
