Meghavi Manjunath, quizmaster & founder of the Bengaluru-based Quriosity Knowledge Solutions, is collaborating with the Prajavani Quiz for a record-breaking fifth consecutive season. She holds the distinction of being India’s first professional woman quizmaster, having hosted over 2,000 quizzes. In an exclusive interaction with DHiE, she highlights how quizzes promote excellence among students. Q: In your experience, how do newspapers contribute to fostering a culture of quizzing among children and young adults?A: Newspapers do more for children and youth than just foster a culture of quizzing. It nourishes a culture of inquisition and knowledge, which are essential life skills in this age where we are often sucked into a whirlpool of misinformation and junk content. Reading newspapers will not just give them a legitimate edge by being informed, but also makes them rational thinkers, better communicators, and better decision-makers. Q: Why do you believe participating in quizzes is important for children, and what skills or qualities can they develop through such competitions?A: In my opinion, the most essential quality for a good student is curiosity. Quizzing helps nurture that quality in children. The intellectual stimulation that a quizzer experiences when presented with a question is second to none. One should be on the participant end of that question to truly understand the joy and gratification that it brings, especially when you manage to crack the answer. If learning can be made fun, you can educate them about any given topic with much ease. It’s a win-win situation. Quizzing makes them better thinkers, better leaders, better communicators, and better decision-makers. Q: What advice would you give to children who are new to quizzing but want to excel in competitions like this one?A: Watching quizzes, reading newspapers, reading quiz books — everything is going to help, but only to an extent. But I’ll tell you what the most effective method is. Keep a journal, your very own quiz book of sorts. That’s a super effective method to prepare. On a daily basis, analyze things around you… like a new word you come across, a logo you saw on the streets, something that made you curious… come home and read about it… and write everything interesting you discovered. Start small, but be regular. In that process of research itself, you’ll discover 10 more new things. And before you know it, you are a quizzer. Q: What role does Quriosity see itself playing in creating a new generation of curious learners and critical thinkers?A: Oh, that’s a difficult one! Both to answer and to do it all by ourselves. But we definitely see ourselves at the forefront, inspiring thought leaders who drive the change and being part of a generation that redefines quizzing for the masses. We want to show that anybody can quiz and that quizzing can be as entertaining as any other content you consume. It’s all about the right packaging. Team Quriosity is working around the clock to change the image of quizzing. We are doing it slowly, one quiz at a time, one question at a time.
