“If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old.” Justifying this great thought, Indian Educational School Kuwait, every year organises KQ (Knowledge Quotient) Matters, one of the most prestigious and sought-after quizzing events organized by an Indian School in Kuwait. The ninth edition of KQ Matters - an exciting quizzing fest unfurled in the Indian Educational School (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan) auditorium, with the theme Indianism as its core element of celebration, in the placid yet charged evening of September 28, 2018.

The charismatic presence of Mr. Alan Andrew, a well-reputed manager of one of the world’s biggest single-phase Oil Refinery builds located in Kuwait, accompanied by his daughter Ms. Jennifer added grace and elegance to the synergic cerebral battle. The quizzenthusiasts from the vastly branched up Bhavans Fraternity, the parent community, the cheer leaders and the teachers of the participating schools congregated in the school auditorium to witness the young gladiators fight it out for the coveted prize.

The events of the evening commenced auspiciously with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the prayer song, and the Bhavans Anthem sung by Bhavans junior choir. The succeeding invocation dance by Ms. Reshma Gopinath, a faculty member of Bhavans Rythymscapes, radiated divine energy all across the auditorium. The ceremonial lamp was then lit by the Chief Guest for the day Mr. Alan Andrew, Ms. Jennifer, Mr. N.K. Ramachandran Menon, Chairman, Bhavans Middle East, Mr. T. Premkumar, Principal, Indian Educational School and Mr. Mahesh Iyer, Principal, Smart Indian School.

The exultant finalists of the KQ Matters 2018 made it to the grand finale by beating 120 teams from 13 schools in the preliminary round of KQ Matters held in May this year. The host school ensured fair play, and the schools picked their lots to decide their tables on the stage for the KQ Matters Grand Finale 2018. The six teams, comprising two participants each from Indian Community School (Senior), United Indian School, Gulf Indian School, Carmel School Kuwait, Indian English Academy School, and the host, Indian Educational School were ushered onto the stage by the cadets of Bhavans Service Scheme (BSS). The young and dynamic quizmasters for the day Mr. Sriee Aswathaman (Department of French), and Mr. Liju Joseph (Department of English) were then welcomed by Mr. Saji Joseph and Ms. Athira Pratap (Department of English).

The mega quiz contest was garnished with a variety of questions in five immersing rounds. The rounds of quizzing themed on the Indian tradition and culture were named Bhasanipuna (English Round), Sanganakavingyanavid (Google Doodle / Inventions Round), Tarkavid (Math Round), Sakalakalavid (Art & Cinema / Sports), Rajyapati (Rapid fire on Indian States) respectively. The quizzers as well as the quizzical audience enjoyed and celebrated the war of the versed warriors fought with grit and zeal. The commanding quiz masters intrigued the audience with their verbal eloquence and mastery of the subject.

At last, when the clash of the au courant titans, which spanned for more than two hours, ended, Mr. T. Premkumar, Principal, IES declared the results. The names of the champions were announced amid great jubilation. The prize-winning pair of United Indian School, Aksa Merin Abraham and Rameez Muhammad stood mountainous with 217 points. The second position was bagged by the daring duo Arjun P Sujith and Jovan Jose of Indian Community School (Senior) with 175 points. The third place was won by the placid pair Meghna Sara Binoy and Alan Ginad of Gulf Indian School with 130 points.

When the beaming quizzers of United Indian School kissed the Champions Trophy, the auditorium exploded into frenzy with the upstanding congregation applauding in jubilation. A cash prize of KD 500, certificates and the ever-rolling trophy were presented to the champions, the duo from United Indian School, by the Chief Guest in the presence of Mr. N. K Ramachandran, Chairman, Bhavans Middle East. The first runners up from Indian Community School (Senior) received a cash prize of KD 300, trophies and certificates. The second runners up from Gulf Indian School received a cash prize of KD 200, trophies and certificates.

All the proud finalists were awarded certificates and mementos for their telling tale of intellectual brilliance in the arena of one of the grandest quizzing extravaganzas in the country. Mr. N. K. Ramachandran Menon, Chairman, Bhavans Middle East presented the Chief Guest and his daughter, mementos as tokens of Bhavans reverential gratitude and love. Mr. Andrew thanked the Management of Bhavans, Kuwait for the invitation. In his address to the audience, he stressed on the importance of education, and recounted that skills and qualities like planning, investigation, commitment and determination could help us overcome all the hurdles in life and be victorious at the end of the race. He emphasized the real meaning of education with a W.B. Yeats quote; Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. The battle of the brains - KQ Matters 2018 culminated in a dignified manner with the singing of the Indian National Anthem.

Aaliya Sageer, the head girl, IES delivered the welcome address and Mr. Sriee Aswathaman, the quizmaster and coordinator of KQ Matters 2018 proposed the vote of thanks. Gitanjali Vinod (Grade 9) and Snighda Anil (Grade 12) were the emcees for the day. Upholding the true essence of Indianism, the curtain was brought down on an eventful evening of celebration of knowledge, marking the end of another enriching day at the abode of wisdom and brilliance, which is the school with a difference, Indian Educational School, Kuwait.