Kanpur, January 28, 2026: The National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE), Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), successfully organized its annual Inter School Quiz on Earthquake Tips on January 26, 2026, as part of its nationwide outreach initiative to promote awareness on seismic safety.

The interschool quiz, being organized by NICEE since 2009, marked its 17th consecutive edition this year. The competition is based on the widely used NICEE publication “IITK–BMTPC Earthquake Tips” authored by Prof. C. V. R. Murty, which provides simple and practical guidelines for making buildings safer against earthquakes. The publication is freely available at the NICEE website.

The quiz comprised four engaging rounds — Round Robin, Picture Round, Rapid Fire Round, and Lucky Number Round. A total of eight schools participated in the final round held at IIT Kanpur. These included KD Ambani Reliance Foundation School, Jamnagar; DAV Public School, Ludhiana; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Prism School, Satna; Gwalior Glory High School, Gwalior; Indraprastha International School, New Delhi; Nehru World School, Ghaziabad; Blue Bells Model School, Gurugram; and Sheiling House School, Kanpur.

The first position was secured by Gwalior Glory High School, Gwalior, followed byKD Ambani Reliance Foundation School, Jamnagar, in second place, and Blue Bells Model School, Gurugram, inthird place.

This year, the quiz was conducted in a hybrid mode, with the preliminary round held online, followed by an on-campus final round at IIT Kanpur. Schools across India are approached in March every year, and interested schools are provided with ten copies of the Earthquake Tips publication to help them select a team of four students.

In addition to the quiz, NICEE also organized the “NICEE–CSI Student Speech Contest: Advocating for Seismic Safety”, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake, Gujarat. A total of 25 students participated, delivering 3-minute speeches emphasizing the importance of earthquake preparedness and safety. The speeches were evaluated by a ten-member jury comprising post-doctoral, doctoral, and master’s students specializing in earthquake engineering at IIT Kanpur.

In the speech contest, Mr. Angad Singh Bakshi and Ms. Harshita Hora from DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana, secured the first position, while Mr. Virat Handa from Sheiling House School, Kanpur, andMr. Trinabh Gaite from Blue Bells Model School, Gurugram, secured thesecond and third positions, respectively.

Participation certificates were awarded to all teams, and cash prizes were presented to the winners by Prof. Durgesh C. Rai, Coordinator, NICEE. Prof. Rai appreciated the enthusiastic participation of the students and schools and emphasized that educating young minds about earthquake risks is crucial for building resilient and disaster-aware communities.

The event was coordinated by the NICEE team comprising Mr. Shivesh Pandey, Ms. Shradha Shukla, Mr. Moti Lal, and Mr. Malikhan Singh. Prof. Rai expressed gratitude to the participants, teachers, principals, parents, IIT Kanpur authorities, the Department of Civil Engineering, Visitors’ Hostel, and the Outreach Auditorium for their support in the successful conduct of the event.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialized schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in