St Anthony’s College wins nationwide quiz contest on official statistics

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 22, 2025

The ‘Anvesha 2.0’ – 2025, a nationwide quiz contest on Official Statistics, was conducted as part of the ongoing celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the National Sample Survey (NSS). The event was held at Shillong College Auditorium and aimed to challenge young minds on topics such as the Indian economy, official statistics, the National Statistics Office (NSO), and Government of India policies.

The quiz session was conducted by Quiz Master Nicholas Jyrwa, Lecturer, Computer Science, Shillong. A total of 13 teams from 11 colleges in Shillong actively participated in the preliminary round. St. Anthony’s College (General Stream) emerged as the winner, while St. Anthony’s College (Statistics Stream) secured the 1st Runner-Up position, followed by Sohra Government College as the 2nd Runner-Up. The winners received cash prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 6,000, and Rs 4,000 respectively, along with medals and mementos.

The event was graced by Dr. S. Khongwir, Principal of Shillong College, as Chief Guest, and T.S. Khongsdam, Research Officer, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Meghalaya, as Guest of Honour. Staff from NSO (FOD) RO Shillong, faculty members, and participants from various colleges were also present.

Dr. Prabhata Das, Assistant Director, NSO (FOD), Shillong RO, delivered the welcome address, appreciating the enthusiasm of students and colleges. He encouraged participants to actively engage in such events, which nurture curiosity and critical thinking.

The keynote address was delivered by Orenthung Patton, Deputy Director, NSO (FOD), Shillong RO. He reflected on NSS’s 75-year journey since 1950 and highlighted its role in supporting India’s development through quality data. He also spoke about the Vision 2030 document and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030.

In his speech, Chief Guest Dr. S. Khongwir expressed gratitude to the NSO Regional Office for organising the event and emphasised the importance of co-curricular activities in a student’s holistic development—intellectual, emotional, social, moral, and aesthetic. He highlighted how such engagements build teamwork, communication, leadership, self-confidence, and decision-making skills, which are crucial for success in academics and beyond.

T.S. Khongsdam, Research Officer, DES, spoke about the long-standing collaboration between the NSO Regional Office, Shillong, and the Department of Economics and Statistics. He noted that their joint survey work began in 1972 with the 27th Round and has continued regularly since, following the methodologies of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).

The celebration concluded with a vote of thanks from P. Nongkhlaw, SSO, NSO (FOD), RO Shillong.