debating

Parliamentary debating has been a highly rewarding time investment of mine. I tried out the activity for the first time at the age of 16 at the NLS Debate Junior 2015, organized by the National Law School of India University, India’s premier law school. Our team’s unexpected win in that tournament catapulted me on an unforgettable journey.

I went on to represent BITS Goa at close to 100 debate tournaments, including the World Universities Debating Championship in 2021. I made it to the knockout rounds (“broke”) as a speaker at the Asian British Parliamentary Debating Championship (ABP) in 2021 and the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championship (Australs) in 2020. As a judge, I broke at ABP 2023, the European Universities Debating Championship (EUDC) in 2021, the HWS Round Robin in 2021 and the United Asians Debating Championship (UADC) in 2020. I was also invited as a Chief Adjudicator at more than 10 international tournaments. I capped off my debate career where it began - serving as a Chief Adjudicator at the NLS Debate in 2023.

Debating transformed me from someone who had stage fright and struggled with public speaking, to a calm and confident orator. Succeeding as a debater also required me to build up a vast knowledge base and an intuitive, explainable understanding of the world. Most importantly, it taught me to listen well and be curious in order to make the most effective contributions to any conversation.

Aside from speaking and judging, I have been involved with the Indian Schools Debating Society in various capacities - helping pick the national team in 2020, coaching a team for an international schools competition in 2021 and training a WSDC developmental squad in 2022.

I have also been invited to give workshops on a range of topics:

• Asian Parliamentary Whip Speeches, ILS Debating Society 2020: Slides
• Resolving Clashes as an Adjudicator, NLUJ Debating Society 2021: Instagram
• Analyzing Actor Incentives, Digital Matter Files 2021: YouTube

While I stepped away from competitive debating in 2023, I am always happy to share my knowledge and practical experience. Please have a look at my debating CV and drop me a mail to discuss any queries you might have.