Large turnout at Saheed Bhawan as schools, families and undergraduates compete
CUttack witnessed an energetic two-day quizzing festival as the tenth edition of Synapse–2026 drew more than 1,000 participants to Saheed Bhawan. The bilingual inter-school competition featured entries from city and regional schools and colleges and concluded with several institutions and family teams winning top honours across categories.
Organisers Team Quizzard and Team White Canvas ran the event with sponsorship from Ruchi Foodline and Dambaru App. The festival was formally inaugurated by former Barabati-Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim, Cuttack-Barabati MLA Sofia Firdous, entrepreneur Samyak Mohanty — founder of Dambaru — and Sangita Sahoo, chairperson of Ruchi Foodline. The chief guest for the quiz was Ravenshaw University Vice-Chancellor Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra.
Winners and categories — city schools and family teams shine
The competition awarded prizes in Odia and English quizzes, introduced a family-oriented ‘Fam Jam’ category for the first time, and included an undergraduate division. Special recognitions were also presented under Lucky Draw, Online Quiz and Spirit of Synapse segments.
- Odia quiz: Secondary Board High School (Mihir Satapathy & Sritam Priyadarshi Sahoo) won first place.
- English quiz: KIIT International School (Adwaita Sadangi & Swastika Mishra) secured the top position.
- Fam Jam: DAV Public School, CDA pair Sai Sahasranshu and his mother Padmini Priyadarshini took first place.
- Undergraduate division: Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR) student Aadarsh Mishra won first prize.
A wider list of podium finishers under various categories included teams from DAV Public School, CDA, SSVM Nayabazar, Loyola School, Bhubaneswar, and students of SCB Medical College and Hospital.
| Category | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odia quiz | Mihir Satapathy & Sritam P. Sahoo (Secondary Board HS) | Sandeep Samantaray & Soma Prayas Maharana | Amrita Guru & Asima Baral (SSVM, Nayabazar) — also Best All-Girls Team |
| English quiz | Adwaita Sadangi & Swastika Mishra (KIIT International School) | Swarit Kumar Swain & Priyanshu Pratik Pradhan (DAV Public School, CDA) | Abhijwala Mohanty & Aditya Baral (Loyola School, Bhubaneswar) |
| Fam Jam (family) | Sai Sahasranshu & Padmini Priyadarshini (DAV Public School, CDA) | Hambika Digbi & Prafulla Das (SAI International School) | Kshirabdhi Ray & Raja Sandeep Ray (DAV Public School, CDA) |
| Undergraduate | Aadarsh Mishra (OUTR) | Ashirbad Nayak (SCB Medical College & Hospital) | Abhinav Prakash Agrawal (SCB Medical College & Hospital) |
"The Synapse platform brings schools and families together and nurtures curiosity across languages and age-groups," said a representative of the organising team.
Community and educational impact
In its tenth year, Synapse reinforced quizzing as a community activity in Cuttack that engages pupils beyond the classroom. The bilingual format and the new Fam Jam category were designed to widen participation by younger learners and encourage family involvement, organisers reported. Schools from Cuttack and neighbouring areas fielded teams, reflecting growing interest among institutions in quiz-based pedagogy.
Teachers and parents who attended the Saheed Bhawan event welcomed the inclusion of diverse categories and the provision of special recognitions such as online quiz awards and spirit prizes, which acknowledge preparation and enthusiasm as much as final rankings. The presence of political and educational dignitaries underlined local support for extracurricular programmes that promote general knowledge and collaborative learning.
As organisers plan future editions, the emphasis appears set on sustaining community engagement and ensuring that quizzing remains an accessible co-curricular exercise for city schools. The festival also highlighted private-public cooperation, with local sponsors and start-ups backing an academic-cultural initiative aimed at young residents of Cuttack and the wider region.
