National teams eye Mettle Meet glory

ARINDAM GANGULY, OP

Bhubaneswar: The seventh edition of Odisha’s premier quizzing extravaganza — Orissa POST Mettle Meet 2025 — is poised to scale new heights with the participation of top-tier national institutions for the first time. Scheduled for August 9 and 10, this year’s event promises an elevated level of competition and national visibility.

Four of the country’s most prestigious institutions — IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, NIT Raipur, and XLRI Jamshedpur — are set to lock horns with Odisha’s best quizzers in what is expected to be the most competitive edition of the event yet. Ahead of the big showdown, Orissa POST caught up with some of the participants from these national institutions to get a glimpse of their preparations and expectations.

Expressing his excitement about being part of Mettle Meet 2025, Sivadharshan S, a second-year MBA student at IIM Calcutta, said, “We are quite excited to participate in Mettle Meet for the first time. As a regular participant in quiz competitions across the country, I can confidently say that Mettle Meet quiz is at par with top national events — I’ve seen the previous editions on YouTube and was impressed with the standard.” When asked about going head-to-head with top institutions from Odisha, he added: “We have considerable experience in national-level quizzing, but I’m sure it will be a great challenge to compete with the best of Odisha. Our strategy is to stay confident, work as a team, and focus on speed and consensus while answering.”

Srishti Soni, a Business Management student specialising in Marketing at XLRI Jamshedpur, said, “I heard about Mettle Meet from a friend who had previously participated and spoke very highly of the battle of wits. The event has an excellent reputation, particularly for the quality and level of its quiz questions.” On the nature of the competition, she said, “With top institutions from different streams participating, we believe our toughest competition will come from the engineering colleges, as they traditionally excel in quizzing. Our approach will be to capitalise on each team member’s strengths and work together as a cohesive unit.”

Prabhat Sharma, a B Tech student in Electronics and Communication Engineering at NIT Raipur, expressed his eagerness for the event. “I’m really excited to be a part of this event and to meet Quizmaster Ajay Poonia — someone I’ve been watching and admiring since childhood,” he said. Speaking about the event’s growing stature, he said “Mettle Meet is a fantastic example of how the culture of quizzing can be promoted. It brings together top institutions from across the country and fosters a spirit of healthy competition. The questions are smartly framed and are a true test of your knowledge and reflexes.” Revealing his team’s tactical focus, Sharma said, “Our strategy will be to stay sharp and aim to be the quickest on the buzzer.”

Pranjal Jharkharia, a B Sc student in Exploration Geophysics at IIT Kharagpur, said, “Looking at last year’s Mettle Meet, it’s a highly competitive quiz event with an electric atmosphere. Everyone who participates comes well-prepared, so it’s both challenging as well as exciting to compete with top institutions from across the state.” With participation from top institutions, an esteemed quizmaster at the helm, and an ever-increasing reputation for quality, Mettle Meet 2025 is shaping up to be a fiercely contested, intellectually rich event that continues to put Odisha on the national quizzing map.

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