---
title: "Three Decades of Trivia: How Chennai Sustained India’s Premier Independence Day Quiz"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/chennai-zifo-open-quiz-independence-day-tradition-c46wd
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
published: 2026-08-06T04:38:10.000Z
modified: 2026-08-06T07:01:55.073Z
language: en-IN
---

# Three Decades of Trivia: How Chennai Sustained India’s Premier Independence Day Quiz

An enduring Independence Day tradition continues as the Zifo Open Quiz enters its 33rd year at Chennai’s Sir Mutha Venkata Subba Rao Concert Hall. Once the Landmark Quiz, the event survived the loss of its original sponsor and a pandemic through community-funded efforts and a transition to new leade

## Key takeaways

- The Zifo Open Quiz has successfully operated for 33 years, originally starting as the Landmark Quiz in 1994.
- Quizmaster Dr. Navin Jayakumar personally funded the event in 2022 to keep the Independence Day tradition alive after losing its primary sponsor.
- The event is transitioning to a more youth-focused format with co-quizmaster Siddhanth Rao to ensure long-term sustainability.

## Why It Matters

The survival of the Zifo Open Quiz highlights a unique intellectual subculture in Chennai that treats competitive trivia as a major spectator event. Since its inception in 1994, the competition has evolved from a bookstore-sponsored promotion into a self-sustaining institution that rivals the participation numbers of major intellectual hubs like Kolkata. Its continuity through financial instability and public health crises demonstrates the power of niche community engagement in preserving local traditions.

## Background

Founded by Hemu Ramaiah under the Landmark bookstore banner, the quiz became a fixed point on the August 15 calendar for nearly a quarter of a century. However, the pandemic-induced closure of the bookstore chain threatened the event's existence. Quizmaster Dr. Navin Jayakumar, an ophthalmologist who has led the event since his 30s, maintained the streak by conducting the 2021 edition online despite lockdowns. By 2022, Jayakumar personally financed the event using borrowed funds from friends to prevent the tradition from dying. The event was eventually rescued by Raj Prakash G, founder of Zifo and a former participant, who stepped in to provide corporate backing.

## Key Facts

- The 2024 edition marks the 33rd year of the competition, hosted at the Sir Mutha Venkata Subba Rao Concert Hall.
- Participation has historically peaked at over 1,000 teams, with current registrations already exceeding 400.
- Co-quizmaster Siddhanth Rao recently joined the 64-year-old Jayakumar to integrate modern pop culture and appeal to younger demographics.
- The 2025 event introduces interactive mobile-based participation for spectators following the preliminary rounds.
- Original founder Hemu Ramaiah maintains her involvement by assisting with the manual marking of answer sheets.

## What Happens Next

The Zifo Open Quiz 2025 is scheduled for August 15 at 1:15 PM. Organizers are shifting the format to be more youth-oriented, acknowledging that the future of the tradition depends on its relevance to new generations. Unlike traditional academic exams, the organizers emphasize that the event will continue to reward general curiosity and lateral thinking over rote memorization. Prospective participants are encouraged to engage with history and geography through daily reading rather than intensive short-term study.

Source: The Hindu - Lifestyle

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/chennai-zifo-open-quiz-independence-day-tradition-c46wd
Reported from: The Hindu - Lifestyle