Udupi: Geeve George and Karthik M Rao from Little Rock Indian School, Brahmavar, Udupi, emerged winners of the national level Rural IT Quiz 2015 organized by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in partnership with the Department of IT, BT and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka. They defeated the team of Dakshak Nagrale and Anand Baidmohata from Yeshwant Mahavidyalaya, Maharashtra, by a margin of 15 points, in the event held at Chowdiah Memorial Hall in Bengaluru recently.

Pictures show teams from different States, besides a group photograph with the guests. 

Tata Consultancy Services Bengaluru Centre Head E S Chakravarthy and IT, BT, Science and Technology Department Director Tanusree Deb Barma present a cheque for Rs.1 lakh to the winners of the Rural IT Quiz 2015, Geeve George and Karthik M Rao, of Little Rock Indian School, Brahmavar.  Quizmaster Giri Balasubramaniam is also seen.

Hosted by quizmaster Giri `Pickbrain’ Balasubramaniam, the quiz was based on the theme `Artificial Intelligence’. Through the five rounds of Knowledge Engineering, Means-Ends Analysis, Computer Time, Cognitive Simulation and Social Intelligence, the teams from Karnataka and Maharashtra were competing to gain the lead. In the final round, a question on Net neutrality turned out to be decisive, giving Karnataka the winning points. The winners received an educational scholarship of Rs.1,00,000 and the runners-up received Rs.50,000, along with trophies and bags of goodies. Giving away the prizes, Tanusree Deb Barma, Director of the Department of IT, BT, Science & Technology, said, “Such industry initiatives are welcome by the Government of Karnataka. It ensures that the benefits of IT percolates to the grassroots”. 

Month-long preparation

Geeve George and Karthik Rao, both Class XI Computer Science students, prepared for months for the competition, reading about companies on the Internet and watching videos of the quiz from previous years. “We did not have to mug up anything because we love IT and have been interested in the subject from childhood”, said an euphoric Geeve George. .

Started in the year 2000, the quiz programme for students from Classes 8 to 12 was meant to enhance awareness of the IT industry among the rural youth.

Since 2011, the competition, which had been limited to Karnataka, was taken to the States of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh as well. The teams contested at the national level after qualifying in the prelims, district, regional and state-level rounds held between August and October this year, in their respective states.