BITS Pilani trapped in Hindu Crossword

March 29, 2009 - PRLog -- One among the top ranking universities in India today, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science popularly known as BITS has campuses in Pilani Rajasthan, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad. Recently the National Assessment and Accreditation Council NAAC reaccredited BITS with 3.71 CGPA out of 4 and awarded “A” grade “Very Good” status to BITS.

The emblem of the Institute represents a synthesis of Science, Humanities and Engineering with Lotus representing Humanities and Social Sciences, the Structure of Molecule representing Science and the Figure of Rocker representing Engineering and Technology. The Motto of the Institute is Gyanam Paramam Balam meaning Knowledge is Power Supreme.

The world's first crossword is said to have appeared in a Sunday newspaper, the New York World, on 21 December 1913, created by a journalist from Liverpool called Arthur Wynne. It goes without saying that crosswords have always had a special association with newspapers.

By the 1920s, crosswords had become a craze on both sides of the Atlantic and almost all newspapers invariably had one. They even figured in songs, such as "Cross Word Puzzle Blues" and "Cross Word Mamma". Despite the rise of the internet and computer-generated crossword programs, aficionados still like them best on newsprint because they cannot cheat over the answers.

Some years back, in Uganda, a man obsessed with crossword puzzles is said to have been arrested for buying the banned Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation as he no longer found the puzzles in the government-owned newspaper challenging enough.

The clue for 35 across in Sunday 23 September 2007 Boston Globe Sunday magazine crossword puzzle for a 16 letters word was “A poker player’s proposal” and the answer “May I have your Hand”; clue for 111 across 14 letters word was “Generic Proposal” and the answer (spoiler alert, for those still working on it!)  “Will you marry me?”; and the clue for 116 across for a 6 letter word was "Winston's mother" and the answer “Jennie”.

For most puzzle devotees the Boston Globe clues meant nothing, but for Aric Egmont of Cambridge, those 14 letters on the grid were the actual proposal he’d been plotting for months to his girlfriend, Jennie Bass. It goes without saying that Aric and Jennie got married after solving the puzzle.

In India among the crosswords appearing in newspapers, the one appearing in the century plus old The Hindu has a special place. For many the day is not complete without a cup of coffee accompanied by crossword from the Hindu.

26 March 2009 Hindu carried the crossword as usual and the clue for 15 Across 9 letter word was something special “BITS, Pilani’s power supreme” and the answer without doubt is the 9 letter “Knowledge”.

Interested persons can see the crossword puzzle in the link http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/26/stories/2009032699951000.htm and answer in http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/27/stories/2009032799951001.htm

The alumni of BITS Pilani who are the torch bearers for Brand BITS across the globe from Australia to America take pride in finding their beloved alma mater getting trapped in the Crossword of the esteemed newspaper The HINDU.

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BITS Pilani is a Deemed University established under section 3 of the UGC Act. 1956 under notification no. F.12-23/63.U-2 dated 18th June, 1964.