One of the most awaited business quiz in India, the AIMA NMQ has been a regular feature in the calendars of the who’s who of the quizzing fraternity in India. Being an annual winter feature, the 16th edition of this prestigious quiz was organized in 4 cities of India- in order Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi. I, Ajay Poonia, was the Quizmaster for all 4, including the National Final at Delhi. Here’s a review of the regional final and National Final at Delhi. It was yet another marathon day for me, albeit of quizzes. With a total of 10 quizzes lined up for the day, it was a test of stamina for me as well as the participants, especially from Delhi, who had to maintain their focus throughout the day. In the regional rounds for HR Quiz and the Management Quiz, 5 of the 6 finalist teams turned out to be the same- RINL, RBI, IOC, NTPC and OIL. BSES in the HR Quiz and Maruti Suzuki in the Management quiz were the other 2 teams. 16th AIMA NMQ – Delhi NTPC and RBI took an early advantage in this quiz of 5 rounds. At the end of Round 2 NTPC was at 51 and RBI at 31. And it looked as if these two teams will secure their berth in the National Semi Finals. Even after Round 4 RBI was comfortably ahead of its nearest rivals OIL and IOC. The last round was a fast paced buzzer round where accuracy and speed were the two most rewarded virtues. With NTPC building on their healthy lead to make their way through to the National final, the last segment of the final round became a three way affair for one remaining spot- IOC at 35, RBI at 36 and OIL at 40. 4 questions remained for 10 points each. After 3 questions, the three competitors answered 1 question each. Before the last question, it was 45, 46 and 50. As Ravi Shastri, says it over and over again, it went down to the wire. But in a sudden burst of energy, adrenalin rush and child like enthusiasm, NTPC who had already made their way in the final decided to press the buzzer on the final question much to the annoyance of IOC and RBI. By virtue of sitting pretty on the last question, Oil India Ltd. Qualified as the 2nd team from Delhi. An anticlimactic end to what was gearing up to be a nail biting affair. Final scores- NTPD- 89, OIL- 50, RBI- 46 3rd AIMA HR Quiz The HR Quiz at Delhi had a very different route to becoming a the 2nd nail biting quiz of the day. If the first two rounds were a cake walk for RINL and BSES, the next two were a nightmare for them. While all questions in the first two rounds were answered by RINL and BSES, in the next two other teams made their presence felt by answering the questions. At the end of Round 4, with only 1 round remaining, RINL at 57, BSES at 43, OIL at 38 and NTPC at 36. With lots of points, both negative and positive, on offer in the final round RINL and BSES distanced themselves from the rest to qualify for the National Semi Finals. Final scores- RINL- 87, BSES- 73, NTPC- 44 The Four Semi Finals With two teams qualifying in both the quizzes from each of the cities, in the HR Quiz ICRA from Bangalore and NTPC from Mumbai scraped through narrowly in their Semi Finals while SAIL, Kolkata and Vizag Steel, Kolkata had it relatively easy in theirs. In the management quiz, OIL from Delhi and Godrej & Boyce from Mumbai did not face a stiff competition and neither did TCS and ICRA, both from Bangalore. Our line up for the two National Finals was now complete. 3rd HR Quiz National Final 4 rounds had to be negotiated enroute the title of national champion of the HR Quiz. ICRA took the lead early on in the quiz with NTPC Mumbai not too far behind. ICRA 34, NTPC 21. The 3rd round saw ICRA take a significant lead and almost assure themselves of the title. The quiz from here on became a fight for the 2nd place between NTPC and SAIL. ICRA thus decided to watch sit atop the Qutub Minar and watch the others struggle for points. And as it happened, the struggle for points was an exciting affair for the audience and the quizmaster alike. Final scores- ICRA 64, NTPC- 51, SAIL- 20. ICRA, a team that finished 2nd in Bangalore upped their game when it mattered the most and finished National Champions. 
buffoonery daredevilry on part of ICRA) it was certainly possible. TCS took a 15 and lived up to their part of the deal by identifying the four deputy governors of RBI. TCS now 91, ICRA 93. ICRA decided against popular demand from the audience and opted for a 5 pointer. Final scores- ICRA 98, TCS 91, G&B 71. The scoreboard suggesting a much closer competition than it actually was. ICRA thus rounded off the day, as one of their team members said, “with a story to tell their grandchildren“. Two national champion titles on the same day for ICRA Ltd. 
