The Chandragupta Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) is set to host the East Zone finals of the 2nd edition of the National Inter-college Crossword Expedition (NICE) on June 9.

This highly anticipated event marks the commencement of the zonal finals, as the annual national contest progresses into Stage II. Following the successful completion of Stage I, where individual students participated in four online rounds of puzzle-solving, Stage II will see the top-ranking students forming two-member teams to represent their respective institutions in the offline zonal finals.

The top 5 institutions in the zone, as per the Cumulative Leaderboard rankings, are:

These institutions have demonstrated outstanding performance, securing their place in the next round of the competition. The teams representing these institutions will engage in a thrilling battle of wits and crossword-solving abilities in the upcoming East Zone finals.

In addition to the East Zone, zonal finals will be held for the West, North, South, and Northeast zones. The top three teams from each zonal final will converge in New Delhi for Stage III, where they will compete in the national grand finale.

NICE was introduced last year as part of the initiatives to fulfill the objectives outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The contest aims to create a dynamic campus environment and foster a comprehensive education ecosystem that nurtures students' multi-disciplinary talents. By participating in the game, students can enjoy various advantages, including the enhancement of logical reasoning abilities, the cultivation of a problem-solving mindset, and the development of quick decision-making skills, among other cognitive abilities.

The contest is organized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body for technical education in India, in collaboration with the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai, and Extra-C, a civil society initiative dedicated to promoting a holistic educational environment.