# BITS Quizzing League 2026 Finals - Quiz by: Prayag Mohanty (QM Prayag) - Published: 2026-04-16 - Slides: 141 - Event: BQL 2026, BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus - Topics: General - View online: https://prayag-mohanty.github.io/QM/quiz/bits-quizzing-league-2026-finals-qm-prayag-mohanty-legacy-quiz-general-quiz-bits-pilani-kk-birla-goa-campus/ - Download PDF: https://prayag-mohanty.github.io/QM/files/bits-quizzing-league-2026-finals-qm-prayag-mohanty-legacy-quiz-general-quiz-bits-pilani-kk-birla-goa-campus/bits-quizzing-league-2026-finals-qm-prayag-mohanty-legacy-quiz-general-quiz-bits-pilani-kk-birla-goa-campus.pdf BITS Quizzing League 2026 Finals | QM: Prayag Mohanty | Legacy Quiz | General Quiz | BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus A quiz presentation covering diverse topics including literature, space exploration, idioms, history, and technology, featuring rounds with themed questions and answers from the BITS Quizzing League 2026 Finals. Compiled and set by Prayag Mohanty. ## Slides ### Slide 1 BITS Quizzing League 2026 Finals Legacy Quiz Prayag Mohanty ### Slide 2 Past BQL Winners 2024 ### Slide 3 Past BQL Winners 2025 ### Slide 4 Past BQL Winners 2026 ### Slide 5 Acknowledgements • Some of the questions have been sourced from Samanway, Major, Ravi Mundoli & Navin Jayaram’s sets, that I’ve attended. Huge shoutout to them! • Rest of the questions, are set by moi • Thanks to Divyanshu & Amit for GPing the set. ### Slide 6 Endgame 4 Rounds 1. Theme Round – 5 questions 2. Clockwise Round – 12 questions 3. Written Round – 4 questions 4. Anti-Clockwise Round – 12 questions Lessgooo! ### Slide 7 Round 1 • Written Round • Theme – BQL • 5 questions • Every correct answer fetches 10 points • No negatives ### Slide 8 1 CCD was founded by VG Siddhartha, who died in 2019. Kuppalli is a small village in the Thirthahalli taluk of Karnataka’s Shivamogga district. It is best known as the childhood home of a towering figure, buried not far from his ancestral residence. His resting place, named Kavishaila, sits atop a small hillock. The memorial, composed of large stone slabs, has him laid to rest at its very center. VG Siddhartha was responsible for financing the memorial of this literary legend. Whose grave is this? What inspired the design of the memorial? ### Slide 9 2 In 2021, 90-year-old William Shatner — best known as the fictional character— became the oldest person to ride a rocket into space, aboard a Blue Origin capsule owned by Jeff Bezos. Bezos is a huge fan of the fictional series. The fictional character is known as the commander of a starship. Which series? ### Slide 10 3 "Jizz in My Pants" is an SNLDigital Short which aired on SaturdayNightLiveon 2008. It required the then-CEO of NBC’s personal approval to air because of its title. The comedy song launched a career that would eventually lead its star to play a New York City detective on a beloved police sitcom. Who? ### Slide 11 4 “Quid pro quo” is a Latin phrase meaning “something for something” — an exchange where one thing is given in return for another. The same phrase is rephrased in slang as ___ ___ ___, which is often used in a revengeful context. Both words are just an old dialectal variant of "tip," meaning a light knock. What phrase? ### Slide 12 5 One unexpected casualty of the Epstein files was a 90-year-old company called Lifetouch. Its indirect link to Epstein & the company's entire business made parents panic. So, in early 2026, school districts across the United States began cancelling their annual contracts with Lifetouch. What does Lifetouch do? ### Slide 13 Exchange Answers ### Slide 14 1 CCD was founded by VG Siddhartha, who died in 2019. Kuppalli is a small village in the Thirthahalli taluk of Karnataka’s Shivamogga district. It is best known as the childhood home of a towering figure, buried not far from his ancestral residence. His resting place, named Kavishaila, sits atop a small hillock. The memorial, composed of large stone slabs, has him laid to rest at its very center. VG Siddhartha was responsible for financing the memorial of this literary legend. Whose grave is this? What inspired the design of the memorial? ### Slide 15 Kuvempu, regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century ### Slide 16 Kuvempu's memorial is based on the Stonehenge ### Slide 17 2 In 2021, 90-year-old William Shatner — best known as the fictional character— became the oldest person to ride a rocket into space, aboard a Blue Origin capsule owned by Jeff Bezos. Bezos is a huge fan of the fictional series. The fictional character is known as the commander of a starship. Which series? ### Slide 18 Star Trek ### Slide 19 3 "Jizz in My Pants" is an SNLDigital Short which aired on SaturdayNightLiveon 2008. It required the then-CEO of NBC’s personal approval to air because of its title. The comedy song launched a career that would eventually lead its star to play a New York City detective on a beloved police sitcom. Who? ### Slide 20 Andy Samberg ### Slide 21 4 “Quid pro quo” is a Latin phrase meaning “something for something” — an exchange where one thing is given in return for another. The same phrase is rephrased in slang as ___ ___ ___, which is often used in a revengeful context. Both words are just an old dialectal variant of "tip," meaning a light knock. Nothing NSFW about it. What phrase? ### Slide 22 Tit for tat ### Slide 23 5 One unexpected casualty of the Epstein files was a 90-year-old company called Lifetouch. It’s indirect link to Epstein & the company's entire business - made parents panic. So, in early 2026, school districts across the United States began canceling their annual contracts with Lifetouch. What does Lifetouch do? ### Slide 24 School photos ### Slide 25 Round 2 • Clockwise Round • 12 questions • Bounce: +10/0 • Pounce: +10/-5 ### Slide 26 1 This is a watercolor on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled Packing_________in CantonforShipmenttotheWestwhich shows one of the main exports of Ming and early Qing period (1644-1911) China. The goods were packed carefully owing to their delicate nature, and something was used as a filler for cushioning. Ironically, from the 18th century, the roles were reversed. The filler material became the more precious commodity, and the previously traded item became ballast to stabilize the ships that carried it. What are these items and commodity which swapped roles? [2 x 5] ### Slide 27 (picture slide) ### Slide 28 Answer Slide ### Slide 29 Porcelain (chinaware, ceramic), tea Tea leaves were used as filler & discarded later in Europe, possibly contributing to its popularity ### Slide 30 2 Most of us would have encountered this creation (and possibly enjoyed the “experience”), mostly during an annoying occurrence. It was created by Sebastien Gabriel, Alan Bettes, and Edward Jung in 2014. During development, it was referred to as 'Project Bolan', a nod to lead singer Marc Bolan of a particular (relevant) band. By design, the entire “experience” is meant to last for 17 million years, so no one will ever enjoy the complete package. What creation is this? [4] Why the choice of 17 million years? [6] ### Slide 31 Answer Slide ### Slide 32 T-Rex game, They survived for 17 million years ### Slide 33 3 The idiom originated in the United States in the 1920s, stemming from the rise of newly electrified household appliances. It uses the metaphor of an immediate, automatic action triggered by a simple press to mean intentionally eliciting a strong emotional response or reaction, typically annoyance or anger. It is only appropriate that the weekly video games newsletter of The Guardian is named after this idiom. What two-word title is this? ### Slide 34 Answer Slide ### Slide 35 Pushing Buttons ### Slide 36 4 From July 1905 onwards, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ran a special train on 26 days over 13 weeks from July to October. Rich folks from Bombay would put in a morning's worth of work, board the train at noon, and be at their destination by 3 pm. The next few hours would be spent in a pastime that the destination had become famous for. They could then board the return train, have dinner, and be home in time for bed. What was the destination? [5] Why were these moneybags traveling there? [5] ### Slide 37 (picture slide) ### Slide 38 Answer Slide ### Slide 39 Poona Races ### Slide 40 5 The Mauch Chunk Gravity Railway in Pennsylvania was originally built in the 1820s and 30s to transport coal from the Summit Hill mines to the Lehigh River. It was not operational on weekends, and the people who ran the hill soon began opening it to onlookers as a way to make some extra money. Other railway companies soon followed suit. All of this inspired the inventor LaMarcus Thompson to set up an attraction modeled on similar principles at Coney Island, leading to several such "scenic railways" being established across the United States. What is this railway considered the first ever example of in the US? ### Slide 41 (picture slide) ### Slide 42 Answer Slide ### Slide 43 Rollercoasters The Mauch Chunk Railroad was a 9-mile downhill stretch that used gravity to propel the carts ### Slide 44 6 The Anglo-American _____ Chess matches were a series of yearly chess matches played between teams from the US and UK from 1896 to 1911. The matches were made possible by the completion of a technological project involving the ship SSGreatEastern(among others) in the 1860s. The mementos/trophies issued as part of these events paid tribute to the technology itself. FITB. [4] What is special about the mementos/trophies? [6] ### Slide 45 (picture slide) ### Slide 46 Answer Slide ### Slide 47 Cable/telegraph lines Cross section of the cable lines were part of the mementos ### Slide 48 7 X Y is a poem by 4-time individual National Poetry Slam champion Patricia Smith. In this poem, she deftly mixes 2 genres X and Y of written and spoken/sung word to create a nice fusion. Watch the video and name the poem. [2 x 5] [Answer will be of the form ‘Techno Sonnet'] ### Slide 49 Q X Y is a poem by 4-time individual National Poetry Slam champion Patricia Smith. In this poem, she deftly mixes 2 genres X and Y of written and spoken/sung word to create a nice fusion. Watch the video and name the poem. [2 x 5] [Answer will be of the form 'Bluegrass Sonnet'] ### Slide 50 7 ### Slide 51 Answer Slide ### Slide 52 Hip-Hop ghazal The vibe is hip-hop but the rhyming scheme (especially the refrain, poet’s name) is ghazal ### Slide 53 8 Mohammad Abdur Rahman Khan was arguably the most well-known name in Hyderabad in a certain field in pre-independent India. He had first become interested in them as a schoolboy at the Madrasa-i-Aliya in Hyderabad in the late 1880s. Later, a development in 1910 reinvigorated his interest in the field. An eminent physicist of the times even borrowed some of the items from Khan's personal collection for X-ray analysis at his lab at Dhaka University. Additionally, Khan also attempted to find the origins of an object in West Asia using his expertise. What fueled his interest? [3] Which scientist? [4] What object? [3] ### Slide 54 (picture slide) ### Slide 55 Answer Slide ### Slide 56 The arrival of the Halley’s Comet ### Slide 57 Satyendra Nath Bose ### Slide 58 The Black Stone of Ka’aba in Mecca ### Slide 59 9 In the 19th century, senior British army officers wore hats that were adorned with oak leaves that had the appearance of being made of gold as a way to reflect their status. While very few were made from actual gold, a less-expensive, lustrous alloy was used to give this appearance. Which two-word term originates from this? ### Slide 60 Answer Slide ### Slide 61 Top Brass ### Slide 62 10 The most important purpose behind this practice is to provide a medium for the energy absorption from all the impact forces by undergoing a temporary change in its contact relationship. The other reasons include drainage of water, an even distribution of load, and the prevention of the growth of vegetation that can cause a potential problem. It is usually 0.5 meters thick, with a substantial ' shoulder' in place, to prevent lateral displacement and flooding. The item commonly used for this purpose in India is something that is named from Latin for its coarse texture. What practice are we talking about? ### Slide 63 Answer Slide ### Slide 64 Why you always see crushed stones (gravel) alongside railroad tracks “gravis”, meaning heavy ### Slide 65 11 Connect LongGrassandButterflies, Van Gogh NewYorkCity1, Piet Mondrian LaBateau,Henri Matisse (15 minutes) (75 years) (47 days) ### Slide 66 Answer Slide ### Slide 67 They were hung upside down in galleries ### Slide 68 12 St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora, is Goa’s first _______ school, started by Fr. William Lyons, a visiting British priest, in 1887. Lyons was said to have been suffering from a skin ailment, and to cure it, he traveled all across India. Finally, someone advised him to go to Goa, where a particular spring in ‘Siquerim’ with medicinal properties would cure the disease. His ailment was cured, and as a token of gratitude, he started this school. As the principal, he introduced an activity into the educational curriculum. This activity represented all the ideals of Christian manhood – discipline, strength etc. What is St. Joseph’s High, the first of in Goa? [5] What did he introduce? [5] ### Slide 69 Answer Slide ### Slide 70 First English school Goa was a Portuguese colony in 1887 ### Slide 71 Football ### Slide 72 Round 3 • Written Round • 4 questions • Every correct answer fetches 10 points ### Slide 73 1 What in the world of literature is the Hawking Index, popularized by American mathematician Jordan Ellenberg in his blog? The bestseller FiftyShadesofGreystands at 25.9 Hilary Clinton’s HardChoicesis at 1.9 Which work is at 6.6, from which the index gets its name? [2 x 5] ### Slide 74 2 The origin of this animal’s name is Germanic and has been attributed largely to either Dutch or Old Norse. The Old Norse word for 'horse-whale' (not entirely inaccurate description of the creature itself) is thought to have passed in an inverted form (animal positions swapped) to both Dutch and German. Several place names in Iceland, Greenland, and Norway may originate from breeding sites, such as Hvalfjord, Hvallatrar, and Hvalsnes. What animal? [10] ### Slide 75 3 Minhwa is a folk art form practiced in a particular part of the world, and had its heyday from the 14th to the 20th centuries. These artworks were mostly made by anonymous craftsmen with no formal training and were believed to possess beneficial magical powers that protected their owners. One recurring Minhwa motif is Hojakdo, which depicts two specific living things and symbolizes guarding against evil spirits and serves as a harbinger of good news. Why did souvenirs based on it see a huge rise in sales in 2025? ### Slide 76 (picture slide) ### Slide 77 4 This is an abstract strategy board game for 2-4 players designed by Gordon Hamilton in 1985. He published the all-white wooden version in 2004. What is the 1-word name of the game whose look and name is inspired by the architecture of cliffside villages on a certain European island? ### Slide 78 (picture slide) ### Slide 79 Exchange Answers ### Slide 80 1 What in the world of literature is the Hawking Index, popularized by American mathematician Jordan Ellenberg in his blog? The bestseller FiftyShadesofGreystands at 25.9 Hilary Clinton’s HardChoicesis at 1.9 Which work is at 6.6, from which the index gets its name? [2 x 5] ### Slide 81 The Hawking Index is the measure of how far into a book a reader goes before giving up. A Brief History of Time ### Slide 82 2 The origin of this animal’s name is Germanic and has been attributed largely to either Dutch or Old Norse. The Old Norse word for 'horse-whale' (not entirely inaccurate description of the creature itself) is thought to have passed in an inverted form (animal positions swapped) to both Dutch and German. Several place names in Iceland, Greenland, and Norway may originate from breeding sites, such as Hvalfjord, Hvallatrar, and Hvalsnes. What animal? [10] ### Slide 83 Walrus The Old Norse word hrosshvalr means ‘horse-whale’ ### Slide 84 3 Minhwa is a folk art form practiced in a particular part of the world, and had its heyday from the 14th to the 20th centuries. These artworks were mostly made by anonymous craftsmen with no formal training and were believed to possess beneficial magical powers that protected their owners. One recurring Minhwa motif is Hojakdo, which depicts two specific living things and symbolizes guarding against evil spirits and serves as a harbinger of good news. Why did souvenirs based on it see a huge rise in sales in 2025? ### Slide 85 (picture slide) ### Slide 86 The magical tiger and magpie in KPopDemonHunterswere based on the Hojakdo motif ### Slide 87 4 This is an abstract strategy board game for 2-4 players designed by Gordon Hamilton in 1985. He published the all-white wooden version in 2004. What is the 1-word name of the game whose look and name is inspired by the architecture of cliffside villages on a certain European island? ### Slide 88 (picture slide) ### Slide 89 Santorini ### Slide 90 Round 4 • Anti-Clockwise Round • 12 questions • Bounce: +10/0 • Pounce: +10/-5 ### Slide 91 1 This geographical term was coined by the Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 as he encountered something for the first time after crossing the Isthmus of Panama. If you looked at a map from far away, it would seem that the expression was a cardinal mistake, but if you zoomed into the section near Panama, Balboa's terminology makes sense. What expression, which went on to become a somewhat generic term for "exotic“ places like Oceania and Polynesia also? ### Slide 92 (picture slide) ### Slide 93 Answer Slide ### Slide 94 South Seas The Isthmus of Panama runs east-west, and the canal actually runs north-south ### Slide 95 2 On a chilly winter's night in 1845, he was returning home after a round of heavy drinking at a Glasgow pub. He either missed his footing or was too drunk to watch where he was going, but he tripped and fell into the ice-cold river. As he pulled himself out of the water, he realized there was no way to describe how he was feeling then, and so began working on a way to quantify it. What resulted? [5] How did he pay tribute to the river that had a role to play in all this? [5] ### Slide 96 Answer Slide ### Slide 97 Absolute Zero, Renamed to Lord Kelvin William Thomson chose to name himself Lord Kelvin after the river ### Slide 98 3 The legend behind the Kodandarama temple in Hiremaglur, Karnataka, says that Parashurama’s pride and anger were subdued by Rama at this spot. As a token of his devotion, Parashurama asked Rama to show him a certain form of his, which is why the representation of Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita in this temple does not conform to usual traditional representations of the trio. What is different/uncommon about the representation of the trio at this temple? [5] What form did Parashurama request Rama to show, which justifies this representation? [5] ### Slide 99 (picture slide) ### Slide 100 Answer Slide ### Slide 101 Sita standing to the right of Rama Traditionally, she’s depicted on Rama’s left ### Slide 102 Parashurama requested Rama to show him the scene of his marriage ### Slide 103 4 The suffix 'teen' is used in English to form the names of numbers from 13 to 19. 'Teen Series' is an informal term used to describe a set of four well-known products released over time by three different American companies. Interestingly, the earliest of these – chronologically - was the only ever exported to Iran. It also brought an unexpected windfall of $1 million to the US government in the mid-1980s, thanks to a rather unconventional circumstance. What is the 'Teen Series’? [5] What was the source of the $1 million? [5] ### Slide 104 Answer Slide ### Slide 105 Fourth-generation American combat aircraft (F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet) ### Slide 106 The rent provided to the US Navy by the makers of TopGun ### Slide 107 5 In this sport, players typically hold the piece by the top, which is the standard grip. This grip is practical as it allows for easier lifting and placement without disturbing nearby pieces. In contrast, the bottom grip is considered stylistic and is less common among players. Which sport? [10] ### Slide 108 Answer Slide ### Slide 109 Chess ### Slide 110 6 ChintayamiManasais a collection of essays in which Gujarati writer Suresh Joshi provides critical commentary on a variety of topics, including the works of Sartre, Paz, Poulet, etc. Upon being picked as the 1983 winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award, it drew criticism around originality - that it lacked the author’s own critical thinking, instead relying on those of Western criticism. The award wasn't eventually given, creating the only such instance in the history of the Sahitya Akademi. Who opposed this award? ### Slide 111 Answer Slide ### Slide 112 He himself This is the only time the award didn't go to the winner because the recipient refused to accept it, saying their own work wasn't deserving. ### Slide 113 7 In the sample collected from the Ellora cave, scientists found a 10 percent share of something in the mix of mud or clay plaster. This is the reason why no insect activity is found at Ellora. With these findings, it is no surprise that the set of 34 caves at Ellora, with their temples and monasteries, remain so well preserved. While at Ajanta, in the neighboring caves, signs of insect activity and degradation have been observed. What botanical produce thus causes the difference between Ajanta and Ellora? A familiar name, I’m sure. ### Slide 114 Answer Slide ### Slide 115 Cannabis sativa ### Slide 116 8 The pyramid hierarchy traditionally shows a wide base of junior employees supporting a small apex of senior leaders. With Al now handling most entry-level tasks, the need for a large junior base is shrinking. As a result, this is now being reimagined as a similar, but leaner structure. CEO Vice Which shape/structure is it being imagined as? President Director Manager Individual Contributor Entry - Level ### Slide 117 Answer Slide ### Slide 118 Obelisk CEO Vice Client President Leaders Director Engagement Manager Individual Contributor AI Facilitators Entry - Level ### Slide 119 9 "Ebony and Ivory" is a 1982 single by Paul McCartney featuring Stevie Wonder. During the apartheid era, the South African Broadcasting Corporation banned the song after what specific gesture from Stevie Wonder, a couple of years later? [5] The title of the song was inspired by a quote from Spike Milligan that Macca heard. What (that symbolized racial harmony) inspired it? [5] ### Slide 120 (picture slide) ### Slide 121 Answer Slide ### Slide 122 Wonder dedicated his 1984 Oscar to Nelson Mandela. ### Slide 123 The song uses the ebony (black) and ivory (white) keys on a piano as a metaphor for racial harmony ### Slide 124 10 He has played Ranji Trophy and List-A cricket for Madhya Pradesh (2017-2019) and was also part of the Rajasthan Royals squad from 2018-2019, albeit without any games. The next slide shows a scorecard from a game he played alongside Rajat Patidar. Who is being spoken of? (Full name) [10] ### Slide 125 (picture slide) ### Slide 126 Answer Slide ### Slide 127 Aryaman Birla ### Slide 128 Score check ### Slide 129 11 The 2013 film Oongais a story of a little Adivasi boy's obsession with becoming Lord Rama (after watching a local play). The movie is set against the backdrop of corrupt land-mining activities threatening to destroy his village and the civil strife it leads to. So, he does something that also acts as a camouflage to rescue his village from the "bauxite mafia". What aspect did he borrow from his hero? [5] The story of Oonga found its seed in a small anecdote Devashish Makhija heard while in Koraput, Odisha. He recalls Sharanya Nayak, the local head of ActionAid there, telling him that she had taken a group of Adivasis to watch a dubbed version of a global blockbuster. Which film? [5] ### Slide 130 Answer Slide ### Slide 131 Painted himself blue ### Slide 132 Avatar ### Slide 133 Before the last q… ### Slide 134 Thank you BGQC! ### Slide 135 12 What is the source of these lines? [3] What does the highlighted phrase literally mean? [4] An Indian company with this name today globally dominates the apparel space for this sport. Which sport? [3] ### Slide 136 Answer Slide ### Slide 137 Hamlet; head-to-foot; shooting ### Slide 138 That’s all folks! ### Slide 139 Tie Breakers • Sudden death • Pounce:+1/-1 ### Slide 140 1 Starting with Mombasa, Kenya, in 1953, this Indian bank, named after a wealthy princely state, currently has over 80 overseas branches, contributing approximately 15.91% to its total business. One of its most significant foreign branches was opened in 1976 in a European capital city to facilitate international trade for a specific type of business from Bombay and Surat. Which business & which bank? ### Slide 141 2 MenwithBroomsis a Canadian rom-com that tells the story of a team from a small Canadian town as they work through their personal issues and struggle to win the championship for the sake of their late coach. Which sport?