Happenings
The eagerly awaited 4th edition of the Intra-College Asian Parliamentary Debate took place on April 12, 2025, hosted by the Debate and Literary Cell of Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur. Along with incisive debates and impassioned speakers, this year's competition marked a significant advancement in academic engagement by adopting a hybrid format. While prestigious adjudicators from around the globe connected virtually and donated their time and experience to enhance the event with a truly global perspective, participants from all over the college joined on campus.
The debate took place in the dynamic, fast-paced Asian Parliamentary framework, which forces participants to be quick thinking. Three-person teams in this format represent the government and opposition benches, and each speaker has five minutes to make their case. The focus on cooperation, organization, and the delicate art of conflict—participants are expected to not only present their position but also directly address and dissect the arguments put forth by their opponents—are what make the Asian Parliamentary format so captivating. Debaters must rapidly organize, construct compelling arguments, and assign roles with only fifteen minutes to prepare following the announcement of the motion. They frequently rely as much on intuition and teamwork as on preparation.
This year's motions' themes of ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT were relevant and thought provoking. In the first motion, participants were asked to think about whether the environmental movement should now focus more on climate change adaptation than prevention. As teams navigated the challenging terrain of climate strategy, striking a balance between long-term objectives and immediate human needs, this resulted in a number of impactful conversations. As students wrestled with the conflict between mitigation efforts and the pressing realities faced by vulnerable communities already impacted by climate change, the discussions were full of empathy and insight. In the second motion, debaters posed the question of whether developing country policymakers would sign a government-to-government (G2G) agreement, which would entail ceding a portion of their nation's territory to a developed nation.
As the day progressed, the virtual presence of international adjudicators offered new insights and constructive criticism, pushing students to improve not only their reasoning and delivery but also their understanding of global contexts and issues. Because of the event's hybrid format, there was more opportunity for participation and flexibility, which made the discussion more approachable and beneficial for all participants.
One team stood out from the many outstanding performances throughout the day due to their persuasive delivery, strategic coherence, and clarity of thought. The competition's Best Team was Team Code 16, which included Janhavi Juikar, Diya Joshi, and Maanukhraj Singh Alag. They set a high standard for what it means to participate in competitive debate in a meaningful way with their flawless coordination and depth of argumentation. Due to her outstanding analytical insight, fairness, and command of debate dynamics, Bhumi Sharma bagged the Best Independent Adjudicator in the adjudicators' track. Both awards served as evidence of their diligence, readiness, and intellectual curiosity.
Without the motivation and the gracious consent of Dr. Sukhvinder Singh Dari, the Director of Symbiosis Law School Nagpur, and faculty-in-charge of the Debate and Literary Cell, Dr. Nuzhat Rizvi’s encouragement and support, none of this would have been possible. The student organizers' passion and teamwork made the event commendable, ensuring that every round, adjudicator's session, and technical detail went off without a hitch. The initiative was spearheaded by student cell incharges Ms. Ananya Kshatriya and Ms. Saloni Bharadwaj, with the assistance from Advisory Board members Mr. Advait Nisal and Mr. Vaibhav Vikash, as well as the Head of the Food Committee and PR & Media Committee, Mr. Prakhar Rathore, and Ms. Purva Rani. A vision became a lively day of ideas, cooperation, and development thanks to their efforts and those of the entire Debate and Literary Cell. Ultimately, the fourth Intra-College Asian Parliamentary Debate was more than just a contest, was indeed a celebration and quest to hone debating skills.
