The 14th Dr. Amidas Goradia Memorial National Inter-School Debate ( English)

The 14th Dr. Amidas Goradia Memorial National Inter-School Debate in English was held at The Indian School on 5th August, 2015. This year the event went international with the participation of a team from Kathmandu, Nepal. Having grown over the years the debate saw an overwhelming presence of teams from 35 prominent schools from across several cities: Delhi, Srinagar, Jaipur , Shimla, Chandigarh, Pune, to name a few .

After lighting the ceremonial lamp, the honourable Chief Guest, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, addressed the august gathering which included dignitaries from the School Board- Mr. Prafull Goradia, chairman, Dr. Nayana Goradia, Vice Chairperson , Mr. Kisan Mehta, member of the Governing Body, Mr. Lal Raisinghani , Director , Ms. Brinda Shroff,Vice Chairperson and Principal, Ms. Tania Joshi. Also present were the office-bearers of the School PTA Body, teacher-escorts of the visiting schools and the class XII students of the host school. Dr. Ahluwalia lauded the Schools efforts in propagating and inculcating amongst its students, care and concern for environmental issues, an important aspect of contemporary existence. Especially when we havent just inherited the Earth from our ancestors, we have also borrowed it from the next generation! Recalling his own days as a keen debater, the chief guest elucidated on the three facets of debating, namely, elocution, speech-making and arguing, skills that leads to a tolerant society which allows different points of view to emerge and co-exist. Mr. Parnab Mukherjee, independent media analyst, curator and performance-consultant was moderator at this prestigious event, which is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Amidas Goradia, ancestor of our chairman and the first allopathic doctor to qualify in India in 1863.

The eminent panel of jurists Mr. Parnab Mukherjee ( Chair Judge), Mr. Chirayu Paul and Ms. Sneha Mukherjee adjudged the participants based on their spontaneity, instinct, interpretation and also their capacity to link the topic to the theme of the 125th birth anniversaries of both, Pt Nehru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and 800 years of the Magna Carta. The multi- format debate aimed at assessing the speakers on all genres of debate, namely, Turncoat, Extempore, the Modified Cambridge format and the Block and Tackle.

The preliminary round was a combination of extempore and turncoat. The teams fiercely showcased their prowess at skilful thinking, dexterously switching sides at the press of a buzzer, presenting the propositions followed by an opposition of their own argument!

The audience was treated to a veritable war of words as the young debaters spoke with lan and profundity on an eclectic mix of topics, namely,

This house refuses to move on.

This house believes in the emergence of a non-party political force.

This house believes that free market is a utopia that we need to sell to facilitate a few

This house believes that Penalty cannot be Death

This house believes in an apology for historical guilt

This house rejects fairness creams

This house dies many times before Death

In the semi final round, qualifying teams from Genesis Global School ( Delhi-NCR) and The Indian School (Delhi) met in a face-off This house believes that the State cannot define Love. The second face-off was between the teams of Sunbeam School, Bhagwanpur ( Varanasi) and Springdales, Pusa Road (Delhi) This house believes we should fast with Irom Sharmila.

Genesis Global School (Delhi-NCR) and Springdales, Pusa Road (Delhi) qualified for the final round. Both the teams debated on the topic This house believes that slums are necessary eye-sores that should continue to embarrass our sense of social justice with the expanded motion for the second speaker from each team being This house believes that slums in urban areas are necessary eye-sores that will always embarrass our vanishing sense of social justice and the reduced motion for the third speaker from each team being slums are necessary eye-sores.

The Block and Tackle round provided much entertainment to the audience who were treated to a veritable crossfire of words that showcased the spontaneity and dexterity of the speakers even as they tackled with aplomb the topics I am wearing glasses, but I cannot see and Those who run over pedestrians are not being Humans .

Genesis Global School emerged triumphant as they wrested the Rolling trophy from last years winners Springdales School, Pusa Road who had to make do with the Runners-up trophy this time. Aritho Bose ( Genesis Global School) received the Trophy for Best Speaker and Ritwik Saha ( Springdales School, Pusa Road) was awarded the trophy for Second Best Speaker. The Best Interjector Trophy went to Shiransh Khemka ( B.K.Birla Centre for Education, Pune) The Indian School ( Delhi) and Sunbeam School, Bhagwanpur (Varanasi) were declared the Joint Third winners.

Apart from the School trophies, The Prafull Foundation awarded cash prizes of Rs. 5,000 each to the winner and runner-up teams; Rs 2,500 each to the five meritorious speakers; Rs.1,500 each to the Joint Third and Rs. 1,000 to The Best Interjector. The prizes are inspirational and intended to encourage students to pursue their lines of thought and belief.

Other prize winners were:

Best Speaker Extempore- 1. Parth Bhatia ( Modern School, Barakhamba, Delhi)

2. Havishita Malik ( All Saints College, Nainital)

Best Speaker Turncoat- 1. Radhika Rishi ( St. Marys, Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi)

2. Sanya Mehta ( Modern School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi)

Best Outstation School Team - B.K. Birla Centre For Education, Pune.