CCCC Cryptic Crossword Contest (CCCC) 2023
In the past one decade, crossword solving in India as a co-curricular activity has made giant strides. While more and more students of schools as well as those of higher education institutions have taken to it, professionals from different walks of life and even elders above 60 are getting onto platforms which provide them their daily dose of mental calisthenics.
In substantial measure, the credit goes to Extra-C for launching a concerted effort to bring about a renaissance of this mental pursuit in the country in 2013, the year which was being celebrated as a centenary of the first published crossword in a newspaper. Since then the civil society initiative has carried this game to the far flung areas of India, from metro cities to the vast hinterland.
The organisation is driven by zeal of bringing about a holistic educational environment which has also found resonance in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which calls for the development of multi-disciplinary skills among students.
Crosswords fit perfectly in this scheme of things. They have a proven track record of being an excellent learning tool and at the same time providing a fun-filled pastime. It is one exercise which comes with multiple benefits:
- ENHANCES LOGICAL REASONING
- STRENGTHENS MEMORY
- STIMULATES PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
- SHARPENS FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
- ENHANCES LATERAL THINKING & CREATIVITY
- ENSURES A DECISION-MAKING BEND OF MIND
- GIVES A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
- BUILDS CONFIDENCE
- ENABLES YOU TO TAKE ON CHALLENGES
- PROVIDES YOU WITH A FUNCTIONAL VOCABULARY
Realizing its benefits for all that education is supposed to be, the annual national inter-school CCCC Cryptic Crossword Contest, popular as CCCC, has tried to leverage crosswords on a competitive platform since 2013 to inculcate among school students key cognitive skills. Since then, this pan-India event has been one of the most keenly awaited fixtures of schools’ annual calendars of co-curricular activities.
The 11th edition of CCCC Cryptic Crossword Contest will take place between July and November 2023. The broad structure and timeline of the contest will be as mentioned below:
PERIOD:July-November 2023
FORMAT: Three-stage hybrid (online-offline); two students from a school will form a team and play together
STAGE I: Four online rounds comprising a Practice Round and three weekly online rounds on successive Sundays
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The Practice Round will be held on July 9, 2023
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Round 1 on July 16, 2023
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Round 2 on July 23, 2023
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Round 3 on July 30, 2023
For the rounds mentioned above, a grid of clues will be uploaded on the website www.crypticsingh.com at 1400 hours (2 pm) and the submission of answers will be accepted till 1700 hours (5 pm)
While the Practice Round will be held for the sake of familiarization to the contest, the marks scored in this round will not be counted for final standings of school teams.
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 will be scoring rounds and a cumulative leaderboard will be formed at the end of Round 3 taking into account the marks scored by the contestants in each round. The top 100 on the cumulative leaderboard will qualify for Stage II
The top 20 teams at the end of each round will also qualify for Stage II, irrespective of the cumulative standing
Marks will be allotted for both correctness and the time of submission of answers
STAGE II: Shortlisted teams on the basis of the Stage I marks will be called for either face-to-face online rounds or offline rounds in select cities of the country; the mode will be decided on the basis of the prevailing situation, the number of teams and the availability of host institutes in the respective cities
STAGE III: An offline National Grand Finale involving the shortlisted teams after Stage II will be held in the national capital
The schedule for Stage II and III will be announced separately.
In addition, the organization may also decide to hold a few offline city rounds between August and September, depending on logistical convenience, for providing direct entry to school teams into the national Grand Finale.
ELIGIBILITY: The contest is open to students of class VII to XII in a school affiliated to any of the recognized school boards in the country; contestants studying in different classes of a school may form a team
REGISTRATION: All participants will first have to register on www.crypticsingh.com. One of the two team members will be the main contestant who will receive the registration ID and password following a successful registration.
The registration is free of cost
The registration on the website will begin on June 25, 2023
There will be prizes for top performing teams and certificates for all contestants
Sincerely
(Raj Narayan Singh)
National Coordinator
CCCC 11.0
9102996469
Extra-C