RBI 90th Anniversary Quiz – India’s largest quiz for undergraduate students
In August 2024, to mark its 90th anniversary, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the RBI90 Quiz, a multi-stage nationwide competition for undergraduate teams. This landmark event was seamlessly coordinated by Sunjeet Communications Pvt. Ltd. in partnership with leading quizzing experts QryptiQ and Greycaps, delivering an engaging, secure, and inclusive quiz experience to over 200,000 teams from 14,000+ colleges across India.
Leadership & Partnerships
- Sunjeet Communications Pvt. Ltd. – A certified event agency in Mumbai managing the entire process from start to finish.
- QryptiQ (Evolving Edutainment) – A Delhi-based quizmaster and content marketing company under the leadership of Ajit Ponya founded in 2010; provided expert quiz facilitation and content design.
- Greycaps – Led by Founder & CEO Giri Balasubramaniam (“Pickbrain”), Greycaps crafted and vetted the 5,000-question bilingual (English/Hindi) database.
- Eventz Genie™ – Operated by Enjin Experiences Pvt ltd, as Mumbai HQ, operating in the space where technology meets experiential was the safe event partner to the entire project
Quiz Overview
- Client: Reserve Bank of India, celebrating 90 years since its establishment in 1935.
- Portal: Hosted at rbi90quiz.in, with FAQs, rules, and registration details.
- Announcement: Official RBI press release detailed the quiz’s objectives and reward structure.
Multi-Stage Competition Structure
Countrywide Online Quiz – 1st Round
- Teams of two students per college participated in a timed MCQ format (36 questions, 25 seconds each) available in English and Hindi.
- Held from 19–21 September 2024, the online quiz saw participation from over 200,000 teams nationwide.
State-Level Quiz – 2nd Round
- Top teams from the online round advanced to in-person quizzes in 30+ cities, producing one champion per state/union territory.
Zonal Quiz – 3rd Round
- The 30+ state champions were grouped into five geographic zones (North, South, East, West, Central) for regional semifinals.
National Finale – 4th Round
- The five zonal winners competed in the grand finale held in Mumbai on 6 December 2024, presided over by RBI Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das.
- Prizes included cash awards totaling over ₹40 lakhs, with the national champion winning ₹10 lakh.
Key Challenges & Technical Excellence
Scalability & Performance
- The custom-built portal handled 20,000 to 30,000 concurrent users smoothly, thanks to optimized cloud infrastructure, auto-scaling, and robust load-balancing.
Cybersecurity & Expert Leadership
Ensuring a bullet-proof platform was critical for an RBI-backed event. Under the leadership of Vijay Cavale, a recognized cyber-security evangelist and national franchise partner of 63 Sats the team implemented a multi-layered defense strategy:
- Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT): Comprehensive scans and manual pen-tests patched every vulnerability before launch.
- Phishing Simulations: Internal drills trained support staff to detect and report phishing attempts.
- Data Integrity & Privacy Controls: End-to-end encryption, secure session management, and strict access controls protected participant data.
- Real-Time Security Monitoring: A 24/7 security operations center monitored traffic, flagged anomalies, and auto-scaled defenses under attack simulation.
“Our mandate was clear: build an unhackable platform. Through rigorous VAPT, phishing drills, and continuous monitoring, we met RBI’s highest security standards.”
— Vijay Cavale, Cybersecurity Lead
Content Curation & Accessibility
- A 5,000-question bilingual database was curated, vetted, and translated by Greycaps, QryptiQ, and Sunjeet Communications experts.
- Accessibility features (screen-reader support, high-contrast modes, extra time for visually impaired teams) ensured no student was left behind.
Innovative Quiz Formats
Formats such as Fastest Finger First, digital buzzers, and a live TSR (Timing, Scoring & Record) system were integrated for a TV-show-style experience.
Outcomes & Impact
- Record Participation: Over 2 lakh teams from 14,000+ colleges engaged, making RBI90 Quiz India’s largest undergraduate competition.
- Enhanced Financial Literacy: The quiz fostered nationwide awareness of RBI’s role and core financial principles.
- Benchmark Event: Set new standards for large-scale, tech-driven academic events in India.
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