What term is commonly used to denote an informal document acknowledging debt – a term that differs from a promissory note in that it is not a negotiable instrument? (Hint: Think vowels!)

What item that is popular the world over is named after Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia after she married Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1874? Her name was stamped on the item in commemoration of the wedding. In the early 20th century, during World War I, these items became a symbol of economic recovery in Europe, with bakeries producing large quantities to consume surplus wheat.

This 83-year-old Cambridge-educated gentleman was a one-time President of the British Psychoanalytical Society (2008-10) and a motivational speaker. Married to Dr. Vikram Sarabhai’s niece, he initially made his name in a field other than psycho-analysis & psycho-therapy that he was trained for. Who is this gentleman?

The term "-------" in cricket originates from the visual metaphor of the batsman's stumps and bails being a fortified structure that is then destroyed by the bowler. The term likely plays on the idea that the batter is "entrenched" or "fortified", and when they're bowled out - especially clean bowled - their "defences" are metaphorically breached. What term? (7 letters)

This Indian territory was known as “Nakkavaram” in the olden days, a name borrowed from Tamil that meant “open or naked land”. In 1756, this territory became a Danish colony and during 1778-1783, there was an unsuccessful attempt to make it an Austrian territory! Between 1864 & 1868, Italy tried to buy it from Denmark. Eventually, it passed on to the British in 1869 when Denmark sold its rights. Which territory or place are we referring to?

This term comes from the British military in 18th-century India, referring to a hunter who was skilled enough to shoot a certain type of fast, elusive game bird. Eventually, it evolved by the 1820s to describe a marksman with exceptional skill in stalking and making distant shots from concealment, a term that became commonplace during the First World War. What is this term?

What world record does 103-year-old American businessman George Joseph hold? George Joseph founded the Mercury General Corporation in 1962 – an enterprise widely regarded as the pioneer of variable-rate automobile insurance policies that charged premiums based on driving experience and driving record.

Realising that all users were at a computer, what popular symbol did Ray Tomlinson – a computer scientist – first introduce in 1971 in the domain of digital communication?

Which South American city purportedly got its name from an exclamation by a Portuguese sailor “I see a hill” upon sighting land?

The etymology of this word meaning ‘noisy confusion’ involves a French phrase from 16th century dramas which in turn is possibly a distorted echo of the Hebrew “barukh habba” (‘blessed is he who comes’). What is the word in question?

The motto of this entity set up in 1968 is “Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshitah” meaning “Dharma protects when protected”. The chief of this entity works directly under the command of the PM without parliamentary oversight. Which entity is this?

What term denoting useful information stored inside a software code had its origin from a similarity to an after-dinner offering in Chinese restaurants?

What slang name is sometimes used to denote the triangular shaped boundary marker on a cricket field? (Clue: European brand name for a popular eatable!)

Introduced by Huntley & Palmers, a British enterprise, in the late 19th century, this beloved sweet treat supposedly takes its name from a French city. An Australian company by name Arnott’s has also laid claims to having introduced this product first. The name of this product has become generic these days with many companies using it on their brands! What is the name in question? (Clue: There is a raging debate on how to pronounce this product’s name depending on whether the reference is to the French city or an English word denoting a pleasant attribute!)

Model 914 of this branded product first introduced in 1959 in the US had a tendency to catch fire occasionally that the company supplied a small fire extinguisher along with the product during the early days! The name of the company behind this product has since become a de facto word in the English language. What is this product and what is the company name?

What pharmaceutical product (US brand name) which is currently receiving significant market traction is supposedly a nod to the feeling of accomplishment such as that which comes with successfully climbing a mountain?

This town in the state of Oregon, US used to be called “The Basin” until 1903. It is the birthplace of the talented Hollywood actor River Phoenix who died under tragic circumstances in 1993. The town was renamed in 1903 after a type of fabric. Name this town.

An animal whose name literally means ‘river horse’; and an ancient land between two rivers – the names of these entities share a common root from the Greek language. Can you name these 2 entities?

Ian Fleming named this notorious Bond villain after a friend of his at Eton College. This friend was also a famous cricket commentator’s father. What is that name?

Still staying with the fruity theme, what two fruit names are occasionally used by cricket commentators to denote exceptional balls delivered by bowlers? (Hint: Both are 5-letter words!)

What fruity phrase (2 words) coined by the American author O. Henry in 1904 refers to a politically and economically unstable country with an economy that depends on the export of natural resources?

Alfred Nobel was credited with changing the business focus of this 350+ year old company away from iron & steel and towards the production of arms. Name this company that had a controversial connection with India – due to a controversy that erupted in 1987!

Name the scientist whose seminal publication in 1824 with the translated title “General Remarks on the Temperatures of the Terrestrial Globe and Planetary Spaces”, 'transformed' our understanding of the critical role played by the Earth’s atmosphere in thermal modulation. This work is considered to be the forerunner to subsequent studies of the “greenhouse effect”.

Sulzer Synthetics Pvt Ltd was a Textiles manufacturing company founded in 1987 in Surat. The business failed but it pivoted to a new business model and got its second 'wind' in 1995. Which, now leading company in its space, is this enterprise?

Which entity established in 1861 has the motto: “Mens et Manus” (“Mind and Hand”)?

In the Mahabharatha, these are the only two sons of Dhritharashtra who are considered truly righteous: one fought on the side of the Pandavas (the only son of Dhritharashtra to do so) while the other famously opposed the disrobing of Draupadi. Who are these two men?

Technically, this material is a silicate and is still used in the construction industry in several parts of the world. Its name is derived from Greek for “unquenchable” or “inextinguishable” and reflects its use in olden days in wicks that would never burn up! This material’s adverse health impact came into sharp focus shortly after the September 11 incident in New York city mainly in the form of a lung condition called “mesothelioma”. What material is this?

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a relative scale that measures how much heat a gas traps in the atmosphere. Which of these gases is the least potent as measured by the GWP scale? (a) Methane; (b) Carbon Dioxide; (c) Nitrous Oxide; (d) Chlorofluoro Carbons.

Which entity’s name came about as a stylised version of “Small Office/Home Office” which were its target markets back in 2009 when it rebranded itself?

The Sanskrit word for form (or shape) gave rise to this word which denotes a commodity we all seek and can't seem to have enough of ! What word?

What term (13-letter word) was popularised by the American civic activist Ralph Nader in the early 1970’s to avoid the negative connotations found in words such as “informer” or “snitch”? The term is said to have had its origin in the 19th century in Britain to denote any law enforcement official using a certain implement for alerting the public to rule-breaking or a criminal activity.

“Sitting down near” as in next to a teacher is the literal meaning of this Sanskrit word. The spiritual texts (that this word refers to) form the final part of the Vedas and for this reason these are sometimes referred to as -------. What is the Sanskrit word and what is the 7-letter word in the blank?

“After a brief introduction to ------------ protocol issues, we describe the function of a GATEWAY as an interface between networks and discuss its role in the protocol”. This is a line in the intro section of a seminal publication (May, 1974) in the journal “IEEE Transactions on Communications”. Fill in the blank with a 12-letter term that spawned a now ubiquitous word.

“_____ Cacao” is the botanical name of the cocoa plant. Fill in the blank with a word that is also the name of a popular Mumbai HQ’d chain of patisseries.

This term refers to a decisive, conclusive trial or situation that proves the true value, quality, or effectiveness of something. It had its origin in the 19th century as a method to check if a material was real gold or a less valuable one. What 2-word term is this?

Some of the first instances of ‘these’ were set in Egypt around 3000 BC, based on the Nile’s water level. Higher waters meant more crops and higher ‘these’, lower waters led to lower ‘these’. What are ‘these’?

What OTC-focused healthcare company founded in 1893 by K. Nageswara Rao Pantulu in Mumbai subsequently moved its HQ to Chennai in 1914? The company is still active and its flagship product is a household remedy.

______ (13 letters) is the practice resorted to by manufacturers of reducing the size or quantity of a product while keeping the price the same. It's a form of hidden inflation where consumers pay the same price for less product. Fill in the blank. (Hint: It is a mash-up of two words. The second sentence above is a strong pointer!)

Studies show that India consistently leads the world in reported number of deaths due to this reason – a factor that has shot to prominence over the past decade. As a result, “NS Zones” have been implemented in high-risk areas to curb this trend. What is the reason or factor at play here?

Beginning in the 2020s, a number of cities and local governments began creating this specific CXO position. These appointees lead efforts to try to mitigate the increasing effects of climate change by increasing shade, providing for cooling centres, planting trees, and coordinating anti-X work. What does X in CXO and anti-X stand for?

Founded in 1889 as a maker of playing cards, this company forayed into taxi services, hotels, TV networks, food retailing etc. before finally settling on its current business area where it is now a world leader! They still make playing cards! Which company?

What branch of clinical practice is frequently symbolised by the Greek letter Ψ?

This gentleman scored 5502 runs in Test cricket for his country including 16 centuries! He was a qualified Chartered Accountant as well! His path to eventual cricketing success is an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of repeated setbacks! Who is this amazing individual who was also a national coach?

“ ______ Effect” was proposed by mathematician and meteorologist, Edward Lorenz in 1961 to describe how a small change in the initial stages of a system can cause large consequences elsewhere over time. Much before this, an 18th century polymath wrote a passage to humorously illustrate this same effect!

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

What name did Lorenz give to this effect? Who was that 18th century personality?

Responsible for our breathing action, this anatomical part literally means “extended marrow”. In pop culture, “Something’s wrong with his ____ ______” is a famous line from the 1998 movie “The Waterboy” where it's used humorously to describe someone acting strangely or exhibiting odd behaviour. What anatomical part is being referred to here? (2 Words).

What entity got its name from a contest won by 12-year-old Clara Ma of Kansas (USA) in May 2009? Clara’s name choice was picked from a field of more than 9000 entries. The entity thus named is currently located about 250 million kilometres from the Earth!

In ancient Rome, this word was used to denote a junction where one road forked out to two roads. In medieval times, this denoted a division of the liberal arts comprising grammar, logic and rhetoric. In current usage, this word refers to information of little value! What word is this?

En----tification is a term that was coined by Cory Doctorow, a Canadian-British blogger & author, in 2022 to denote the decrease in quality and experience of online platforms over time primarily due to degradation of their features and increase in advertisements, costs etc. Fill in the missing letters which spell out a mild 4-letter expletive!

Abbreviated often to CCD, this denotes mass scale death of bees and is attributed, amongst other reasons, to human practices such as pesticide use, habitat destruction etc. With cross-pollination adversely affected, CCD can result in reduced agricultural output – besides violation of the “live & let live” tenet! Question: What does CC stand for in CCD, with D denoting “Disorder”? (Clue: First C – bee habitat; second C – synonym for “crumble”).

---------- listening is a communication technique where a listener demonstrates understanding by mirroring back the speaker's thoughts, feelings, and message, using verbal and non-verbal cues to show they are being heard and understood. This is a form of an active listening technique first introduced by Carl Rogers & Richard Farson in 1957. Fill in the blank (10 letter word). Also, can you guess the academic area that Rogers & Farson were researching when they came up with the listening technique in question?

In a recent groundbreaking medical procedure, a baby with a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder, was successfully treated with a personalized CRISPR-based gene editing therapy. The treatment, designed and manufactured within six months, involved correcting a specific mutation in the baby's liver that prevented the breakdown of proteins, leading to a dangerous buildup of ammonia. Here is a quiz: Rare diseases may often be serious or life-threatening, and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. The term "------ Diseases" is often used to refer to rare diseases because there's often limited financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs for these diseases, as the market size is small. What is that term?

It is tax-filing season again! Did you know that the standard deduction was first introduced in India in 1974 under Section 16 of the IT Act? For FY 2024-25, under the new tax regime, the level of standard deduction an individual is entitled to is Rs. 75,000. Here is a quiz challenge! What IT feature was first introduced in India through the 1947 Budget as a means to stop speculative asset buying and selling in an inflationary climate following World War II?

Can you name the eco-campaign launched by the Tamil Nadu government in December 2021 aimed at eliminating the use of single-use plastics? The government has placed multiple vending machines, across the state, which supply reusable cotton/jute shopping bags – in the same colour as that of Chennai’s favourite sports team!

ODI is an innovation framework introduced by Tony Ulwick in 1999 and is based on the premise that people buy products and services to get jobs done. As people complete these jobs, they have certain measurable outcomes that they are attempting to achieve. A simple example that is often cited to illustrate ODI: a customer doesn’t need a power drill but a well-drilled hole! What does ODI stand for?