Ecophoria 2025 – Mind over market

Bringing back an old favourite for many of its students, The Bhawanipur Education Society College hosted a two-day Inter-college Economics fest called ECOPHORIA 2025 on the 12th and 13th of May 2025. With the theme “Mind Over Market,” this unique fest focused on the basics of economics as not just a subject but an in-depth analysis of how resources are best utilised for society to thrive within limited means and how wealth is distributed. Featuring over 15 participating colleges, it was not merely an academic gathering, but a dynamic platform for participants to test investment strategies, wealth management skills, policy analysis, and much more.

Ecophoria 2025 commenced with the Inaugural Ceremony at 9 A.M. in Jubilee Hall with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Prof. Dilip Shah, Rector and Dean of Student Affairs, and Chief Guest Prof. Saibal Kar, Reserve Bank of India Chair Professor of Economics at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC). Following a brief address highlighting the importance of economics and its vital role in shaping society, Prof. Saibal Kar engaged participants in an informative yet entertaining game. The activity involved selecting economic policies to prevent a hypothetical financial meltdown, which proved an interactive way to introduce critical thinking in policy-making. The ceremony was then led by Prof. Dilip Shah, after which the College Representative, Amrit Chordia and Event Coordinators, Swadhin Paul and Kinnari Sailesh Shah, officially declared the fest open. This was followed by a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony.

The BESC economics fest had a total of 8 events that kicked off with high spirits and enthusiasm. The events consisted of many competitive segments designed to challenge and inspire young minds in the field of economics. These events were:

TRADER’S GAMBIT – Day 1 of Ecophoria 2025 saw the hosting of the event of Trader’s Gambit in the Concept Hall, commencing at 11:15 A.M., post the opening ceremony. Trader’s Gambit was a high-stakes quiz which needed strategic thinking and analytical abilities as the teams would have to manage a virtual budget and allocate funds across multiple-choice answers instead of selecting just one, all within a span of 150 seconds. The amount placed in the correct option would be retained, while the rest would be frozen. Rapid-fire rounds offered bonus opportunities, and the team with the highest wallet weightage would win. To maintain fair play, the participants were prohibited from using any electronic devices. All 7 participating college teams were assigned their currency names from Rupee to Sparks. Participants were instructed to circle the correct answer, after which a sum of 10k would be added to their wallet. However, for each question, they were required to wager their entire wallet while also keeping track of their wallet to ensure they would remain aware of their current balance. This created a high-risk environment where every micro decision carried a significant risk.  The results of the event were announced during the closing ceremony, with Heramba Chandra College securing the 2nd Runner-up position, followed by The Bhawanipur Education Society College securing the 1st Runner-up position and the J.D. Birla College being the winner of this competition.

ECONOMIST QUILL – An event based on a research paper which participants delved deep down into the economy to analyse trends and gather insights. The event consisted of 7 participating teams, on 12th May from 11 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at Society Hall.

The research paper topic was provided to the participants beforehand, and only a maximum of 4 members could participate without using plagiarised or AI-generated content, as that would result in disqualification. Proper citations and references would also need to be provided.

Each team presented a PPT and gave a speech based on their presentation with a maximum time limit of 7+3 minutes. Each presentation mainly focused on the growth strategies, exploring the emerging sectors, human capital, policy implications and many other topics focusing on the development of the economy assigned. The event was interesting and insightful, and while it explored various parts of our economy, it also provided us to learn about the gaps present, which is useful for future development. The 2nd Runner-up spot was secured by the Asutosh College, the 1st Runner-up spot was secured by The Bhawanipur Education Society College (Main Team), and the winning position was secured by The Scottish Church College.

POLICY ANALYTICS CLUB: DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS –  This event was from 11:30 A.M. to 4 P.M. at classroom 429 and was a one-of-a-kind competition which challenged the participant’s knowledge in the field of economics, data analytics and policy as they were asked to provide insights on real world issues like climate change, public health and fiscal management via a speech. In Round 1 of the event, teams were provided with two case studies and had to analyse the given resource and craft a detailed policy proposal based on their findings in the first two hours. Participating teams recognised the key patterns and trends to extract meaningful insights by using statistical methods. In round 2, the participants gave a speech and an analysis on the chosen case study, identifying the anomalies, quantitative measures and expected outcomes. They were marked based on how well the policy was practical, participants’ concise delivery and ability to answer judges with confidence and clarity.

In the end, the third position was secured by Shri Shikshayatan College, the second position was secured by The Bhawanipur Education Society College (Main Team) while the first position was secured by The EICASA.

FINANCIAL BLUEPRINT – Financial Blueprint was organised on May 12, 2025, from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in the Jubilee Hall. It was a mock parliament-style competition where participants acted as Finance Ministers for a day. A total of six teams participated in the event, and it was divided into three rounds. In the first round, teams were given question sheets with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to economics and past fiscal budgets. They had 10 minutes to complete the paper. Each correct answer earned a bonus point, and each wrong answer got a minus mark. Some questions had a star mark, which were used as tie-breakers in case of a draw. After a short break, the results of the first round were announced, and five teams qualified for the next round. In this second round, each team was given a case study based on a hypothetical country. They had 30 minutes to analyse the case and prepare a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) with economic strategies and budget planning. In the third and final round, the teams presented their PPTs in front of the judges, who enquired about their presentations. Teams also got the chance to cross-question other teams if they found any flaws. Results were based on the presentation they made and also their way of presenting.

The event winners were Team EICASA, the 1st Runner-up was the OTSE Team of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, and the 2nd Runner-up was the Main team of The Bhawanipur Education Society College.

RISE FROM ASHES – This event was held on the 15th of May 2025 from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in the Society Hall, with a total of 11 teams taking part in the event and each team consisting of 2 participants. In this event, each team was given a company from a specific sector that was either failing, was on the verge of shutting down, or had already closed. The goal was to come up with creative ways to rebuild and bring these companies back to life. The event had two rounds, where in Round 1, the teams had one hour to make a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) with ideas on how to rebuild the company, which also included strategies to help the company grow again; and in Round 2, each team presented their PPT in front of a judge under 3 minutes with an extra minute for questions. Everyone present in the audience was allowed to ask questions about the ideas shown in the PPT. The teams were judged based on how well they presented and how confidently they answered the questions.

The third position was secured by Shri Shikshayatan College, the second position was secured by The Bhawanipur Education Society College (Main Team), and the winning position was secured by EICASA.

SHERLOCK – This event was a unique thought and brought excitement, fun and knowledge to the participants. In Sherlock, participants not only used their knowledge in terms of economics, society and wealth, but they also had to use their wits, observation and quick thinking to find out the key to their victory. This event went from 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. in Concept Hall. Sixteen teams participated in this event, and each team consisted of three members. Use of any electronic devices was strictly prohibited. Before proceeding with Round 1,  every team had to choose a storyline which was given through a paper. Round one was the auction round in which participants had to buy baskets which carried three hints on a bidding system, and each team could buy a maximum of two baskets. Participants were provided with a paddle to raise while bidding in the auction. The increment for the bidding was five hundred, and the maximum wallet each team had was one hundred thousand. Volunteers were assigned to help every team if they had any issues. The bidding was a moment filled with competition and enjoyable moments, such as when two teams were highly determined to buy one hint and constantly raised the value. Round two was a rapid-fire round in which teams were asked 15 short questions on general knowledge and economic studies. For every three correct answers, the team were rewarded with a hint, and a team could acquire a maximum of five hints only. After the rapid fire was over, a bidding took place again on the hints that were not answered by the teams.

Round three was the riddle round, where one member had to find hints which were scattered and hidden all over the sixth floor, and a time limit of thirty minutes was given within which the teams had to collect their hints. Round four or also termed as “Who am I?”, was the fourth and final round, where the participants had to solve their riddle and find the final answer. Teams had to guess their answers while having a choice of getting a hint, in exchange for a penalty of five marks. Correct answers after the first hint were rewarded with twenty points. Participants had the chance to answer more hints through which they got a clue for their final answers.

The event concluded with Jadavapur University as the 2nd Runner-up, the 1st Runner-up was Lady Brabourne College, and the event winner was The Bhawanipur Education Society College.

BESC’S WALL STREET – The BESC’s Wall Street was based on the stock market and saw participation from 7 teams, each consisting of 2 members. The event consisted of 5 rounds and was held on May 13, 2025, from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. in the Jubilee Hall. In Rounds 1, 2 and  3 of this event, each team was divided on the basis of two roles – one participant was the Expert and the other was the Investor. A picture related to a stock or sector was shown. The Experts had to analyse the image and predict whether the price would rise or fall. They received 10 points for each correct prediction and got negative marking for incorrect ones. Meanwhile, the Investors had to guess what the majority of the Experts from all teams were predicting. For example, if most Experts thought prices would fall, the Investor had to identify that majority opinion.

In the 4th Round, the teams worked together without separate roles. They were given stock market data and had to decide whether the price would go up or down. This round tested the team’s combined analytical skills. Only 4 teams qualified for the Final Round, where they were given a case study and had to prepare an Investor Memo. Each team presented their memo in front of a judge, who then asked questions to test their understanding and analysis.

Overall, BESC’s Wall Street was a great learning experience for all participants. The third position was secured by EICASA, the second position was secured by the 3rd OTSE team of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, and the winning position was secured by the Main team of The Bhawanipur Education Society College.

REALITY REACHES – This auction competition, which was held on both days of Ecophoria 2025 was an enriching event in the roster. The goal of the competition was to stimulate an economic environment where participants act as investors in Kolkata’s real estate, hence they would bid on properties, develop strategies to generate profit from their investments and compete to achieve the highest ROL.

Day 1 of the competition was held at the Concept Hall of BESC on May 12th from 2:10 P.M. Participants were presented with a list of property names and given 15 minutes to take their pick. The list featured a diverse range of properties, from South Calcutta addresses to an old residence in Jodhpur Park. The teams were provided with a budget of 25 crores, using which they had to bid across different properties. The highest bid for properties went up to 13.35 crores, and the lowest was 3.10 crores.

On day 2 of the competition, the participants were required to prepare a presentation which explored the market value of the properties, ROI in 5 years, legal and regulatory compliances, risk assessment and management, cash flow statements, and utilisation. Within 10 minutes, they would have to convince the judges to invest in their properties. Using their creativity and intellect, the teams showcased the potential utility of their properties in various ways – from developing wellness hubs and converting ground floors into showrooms, to generating recurring revenue and implementing rainwater harvesting systems. One standout idea was the transformation of the old Jodhpur Park property into a cultural hub where the ground floor would serve as an art café, creating a space for community interaction and expression; the first floor would function as an art gallery to promote local artists; and the second floor would be dedicated to the film museum, paying tribute to cinematic heritage. While the judges pointed out the lack of cash flow statements across some PPTs, they also commended the teams for their in-depth market research. The innovative concepts not only added value to the properties but also aligned with the ideas of sustainability and community-driven development.

The competition concluded with the judges appreciating the participants for their confidence and creative thinking abilities, following their felicitation and the results were announced during the closing ceremony with The Bhawanipur Education Society College (OTSE team) securing the winning title, the Shri Shikshayatan College being the 1st runner up and the Asutosh College as the 2nd runners up.

Ecophoria 2025 drew to a close after two days of dedicated hard work. The Closing Ceremony began at 5 P.M. in Jubilee Hall and marked the end of all events. After the announcement of the winners, the event concluded with the participants and volunteers getting a chance to relax and enjoy a stand-up comedy show by Surya Singh, Saquib, and Aditya Prakash, brought to us by The Calcutta Comedy Club, which lightened everyone’s mood and ended the event on a lighter note.

 

REPORTER – Aanya Singh, Kshitisha Singh, Rudrayan Dutta
PHOTOGRAPHER – Agrag Ghosh, Sanika  Shaw, Partha  Bihani, Aman  Pal, Spandan Samanta.