Beyond the Verdict — Inter-College Debate

For undergraduate & postgraduate students

Make your case.
Listen to the other side.

Is addiction a matter of health, law, or social justice? This competition asks young citizens to look beyond easy answers.

Research a position, defend it with evidence, and engage with the opposing argument courteously. Language choice carries no advantage or penalty.

Who can participate?

UG and PG students from any college or university in Aurangabad district.
Two speakers per team: one for the motion, one against.
No limit on the number of teams per institution.
Each team nominates one faculty mentor.
Languages: English, Marathi, Hindi, or Urdu. Registration is free.

Prepare your position in advance.

Register your motion, language, and named speaker assignments. These are not assigned on the day and cannot be changed after the registration deadline.

Choose your motion

Big questions.
Thoughtful arguments.

Select from the announced list, or submit your own motion on addiction and social justice for committee approval.

A · Addiction & the law

This house believes that drug use should be treated as a public health matter, not a criminal offence.
This house believes that the burden of anti-drug enforcement falls unequally on the poor.
This house would make de-addiction treatment a legal entitlement.

B · Society & responsibility

This house believes that families, not institutions, are the first line of defence against addiction.
This house believes that unemployment, not availability, is the primary driver of substance abuse among the young.
This house believes that educational institutions have a duty to identify and support affected students, not to expel them.

C · Media, commerce & culture

This house believes that cinema and popular media bear significant responsibility for normalising substance use.
This house would ban all surrogate advertising of tobacco and alcohol.
This house believes that social media has done more harm than good to young people’s mental health.

D · Justice & access

This house believes that access to rehabilitation in India is determined by wealth, not by need.
This house believes that women affected by addiction face a double stigma that public policy ignores.

Proposing your own motion? Submit it at least 10 days before the registration deadline. The committee communicates its decision within 3 working days.

The format

Argument.
Rebuttal. Reflection.

Preliminary round

5 minutes per speaker, followed by 2 minutes of cross-questioning. Top teams advance.

Final round

7 minutes per speaker, followed by 3 minutes of cross-questioning and a 2-minute closing statement per team, before a public audience at Education Expo.

How the debate is judged

Strength of argument & logical structure: 25%
Evidence, data & examples: 25%
Rebuttal & cross-questioning: 20%
Delivery, clarity & language command: 20%
Time & decorum: 10%

Panels include partner-institution faculty, legal practitioners, and senior journalists, covering all four permitted languages.

Recognition for informed voices

The awards.

Winning team

Laptop

Trophy and certificate

Runner-up team

Tablet

Trophy and certificate

Individual recognition

Best Speaker
& Best Rebuttal

Best Speaker: trophy and certificate.
Best Rebuttal: certificate.

All participants receive a participation certificate. Finalist institutions receive a Certificate of Contribution; mentor faculty are felicitated.

The rules of engagement

Challenge ideas.
Respect people.

Address the motion, never the opposing speaker personally.
Never refer to an identifiable individual affected by addiction.
No communal, political, or caste-based argument; violations attract immediate disqualification.
Evidence must be attributable on request. Fabricated statistics attract a penalty.
Time limits are strict, with a warning bell at 30 seconds remaining.