Mettle Meet a quiz initiative was launched by Odisha’s only homegrown English daily Orissa POST in 2016. It was done to revive the art of quizzing in the state. Since its inception, Mettle Meet has created a huge buzz across Odisha and today it is an event that the students eagerly wait for. The high standards of quizzing, the fervour of the competition makes it a stand out event among the students of Odisha. It is a competition where knowledge is not the only criteria, but knowledge combined with common sense is.
In the inaugural year 18 educational institutions took part. The teams were divided into three groups. There were three preliminary rounds with the top two from each group qualifying for the final. The institutions who qualified for the title round were College of Engineering and Technology (CET, Bhubaneswar), Ravenshaw Junior College( Cuttack), Utkal University (Bhubaneswar), SCB Medical College (Cuttack), SAI International School (Bhubaneswar) and KIIT University (Bhubaneswar). After a nail-biting contest, CET with 83 points emerged winners in the inaugural year. KIIT University was the first runners-up with 76 points while Ravenshaw Junior College finished as 2nd runners-up with 72 points.
The popularity of Mettle Meet grew manifold in a year and hence it became a two-day event. The number of institutions went up to 45. Some of these institutions sent two teams of four members each andhence there were 70 teams vying for top honours. The teams were divided into two categories – Juniors till class XII and Seniors pursuing plus-3, medical, engineering, management and other courses. The prelims were conducted on the first day in written format with each team answering 40 questions. The top eight teams of the two segments qualified for the Grand Finals.
Teams who qualified for the Junior Finals were DAV (CDA, Cuttack), SAI International School (Bhubaneswar), Ravenshaw Junior College (Cuttack), St Joseph’s High School (Bhubaneswar), KIIT InternationalSchool (Bhubaneswar), DAV (Pokhariput), Sainik School (Bhubaneswar) and Loyola School (Bhubaneswar).
Teams which qualified for the Senior Finals were KIIT University (Bhubaneswar), NIT (Rourkela), CET (Bhubaneswar), SCB MedicalCollege (Cuttack), VSSUT (Burla), AIIMS (Bhubaneswar) and Silicon Institute of Technology (Bhubaneswar).
In the junior segment SAI International School, Ravenshaw Junior College and St Joseph’s High School emerged as champions, 1st runners-up and 2nd runners-up respectively.
In the senior segment debutant NIT (Rourkela) took top honours followed by AIIMS and KIIT University who finished as 1st and 2nd runners-up.
This year saw educational institutions from across all districts of Odisha converging on Bhubaneswar to take part in the quiz event. The number of participating institutions grew to 68. Like in 2017, the competition was conducted in two categories – the Junior and Senior segments. Keen competition was witnessed in the preliminary roundswith the top eight teams qualifying for the Grand Finals
The teams who qualified for the Junior Finals were Mother’s PublicSchool (Bhubaneswar), DAV (CDA, Cuttack), DAV (Pokhariput), DAV (Rourkela), Blessed Sacrament High School (Bhubaneswar), ODM Public School (Bhubaneswar), St Vincent’s Convent School (Balasore) andRavenshaw Junior College (Cuttack).
In the Senior Finals teams from CET (Bhubaneswar), NIT (Rourkela), IIT(Bhubaneswar), AIIMS (Bhubaneswar), VSSUT (Burla), KIIT University (Bhubaneswar), Silicon Institute of Technology (Bhubaneswar) and SCB Medical College (Cuttack) contested for top honours.
In the Junior Finals Mother’s Public School emerged champions. DAV(CDA) and DAV Pokhariput finished first and second runners-up respectively.
The Senior Finals was a thrilling affair with CET and KIIT involved in a see-saw battle. Quizmaster Venkatesh Srinivasan had to implement tie-breaker questions three successive times before the deadlock wasfinally broken and CET emerged triumphant for the second time in three years. KIIT University again had to be satisfied with the firstrunners-up spot while Silicon Univeristy of Technology finished second runners-up.
The 2019 edition of Odisha’s biggest quiz extravaganza – Mettle Meet – saw participation of as many as 88 teams from reputed educational institutions across the coastal state. Like yesteryears, the mega event was conducted in two categories – senior and junior segments. Unlike the written round in the prelims of Day 1, the concluding day saw a battle of the best brains on stage with the finalists locking horns with each other.
Mother’s Public School emerged champion in the junior category defeating its closest rival DAV Public School, Unit-VIII, Bhubaneswar by a good margin. DAV Public School, CDA, Cuttack was the second runners up in the category.
In the senior category, Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT), Sarang bagged the top award by answering nail-biting questions from quizmaster Ajay Poonia. While National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela was the first runners up, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar was the second runners up in the category.
The fifth edition of Orissa POST Mettle Meet 2023 was a grand success in its comeback streak this year, after 2019, for the sheer response of the participating institutions and the unprecedented excitement it evoked in students, parents and teachers as well. The number of participating institutions was 69.
The finals of Mettle Meet 2023 witnessed not only stiff competition and a fierce battle of wits but also edge of the seat excitement.
In a nail biting finish, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar bagged the crown in the contest after achieving first runner-up and second runner-up status in 2017 and 2019 respectively in the Senior category.
DAV Public School, CDA, Cuttack emerged victorious in the Junior category.
The entire event was packed with drama and suspense, with teams edging past each other at times while being overtaken the next moment.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar, who were leading till the fourth round, won the title by answering the last question of the evening, leaving VIMSAR Burla in second position and IIT Bhubaneswar in third.
Mettle Meet’s juggernaut continued to march ahead with élan as the sixth edition of eastern India’s biggest quizzing extravaganza, hosted by Odisha’s only home grown English daily Orissa POST, witnessed a record participation of contestants from over 80 top educational institutions of the state.
The two-day-long battle of brains witnessed many anxious moments as the bright young minds, split into Senior and Junior categories, cracked volleys of tricky questions put by eminent quizmaster Ajay Poonia with wit and presence of mind.
The Grand Finale saw eight top teams from each category, which emerged successful from the preliminary rounds on the previous day, vie for the summit clashes before a packed audience of parents, teachers, students and dignitaries.
While DAV Public School, Unit-8 bagged the first position in the Junior category, KIIT International School and DAV Public School, Kalinga Nagar stood second and third in the category respectively.
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar emerged champion in the Senior category, while SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack and NIT, Rourkela earned the first runners-up and second runners-up status, respectively.