Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Aug: St Joseph’s Academy hosted the 18th Brother ET Dunne Senior Inter-House English and Hindi Debate 2026 today in the school auditorium for students of Classes IX–XII. Held annually in honour of Brother ET Dunne, the event celebrates his remarkable contribution to education and his dedication to discipline, service, public speaking, and critical thinking. His enduring legacy continues through the Brother ET Dunne Memorial Debates at St Joseph’s Academy. The event served as a vibrant platform for young orators to articulate their views with confidence, clarity, and conviction and show that meaningful disagreement can be a powerful catalyst for learning and growth.
The occasion was graced by Principal, SJA, Brother Joseph M Joseph; Community Leader, Brother Ernest Martin; and the panel of judges: Randeep Arora, a seasoned entrepreneur with over four decades of experience across various enterprises; Nadira Ahmad, an alumna and Senior English Teacher from St Joseph’s Academy; and Shivangi Srivastava, an experienced educator from New Doon Blossoms School. Coordinators, teachers, and students of Classes IX–XII also attended the event and encouraged the young debaters.
The programme commenced with a sincere and moving prayer, setting a reflective tone for the proceedings, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Brother Joseph, Brother Ernest Martin, and the distinguished judges.
The Inter-House English Debate comprised two engaging rounds—Extemporaneous Debate and Turncoat.
The topic for the English Extemporaneous Debate was: “This House believes that success should never be measured by social acceptance.”
The Turncoat proved equally captivating, challenging participants to view an issue from contrasting perspectives and defend opposing viewpoints with equal conviction.
The Hindi Debate centred on the thought-provoking motion: “This House believes that learning from books is better than learning through experience.”
The competition witnessed an eloquent clash of ideas among the four houses—Donovan, Bergin, Dooley, and Duffy—with each participant displaying remarkable confidence, spontaneity, and command over language.
The programme was further elevated by a soulful Casio performance by Arnav Sharma, whose melodious rendition added a harmonious dimension to the event. This captivating musical presentation complemented the impressive display of oratory and intellect showcased by the talented students of St Joseph’s Academy during the debate.
The results were as follows:
English Debate: Best Speaker: Vijay Rudraksh Swami of Donovan House. Runner-up Speaker: Kushagra Kandwal of Duffy House. Best Interlocutor: Avik Chaabra of Bergin House.
Best Rebuttal: Kushagra Kandwal of Duffy House.
Best Speaker Turncoat: Palakshi Sahni of Duffy House. Best Team: Donovan House
Hindi Debate – Best Speaker: Mahir Mehboob of Duffy House; Runner-up Speaker: Rudra Ghildiyal of Donovan House; Best Rebuttal: Rudra Ghildiyal of Donovan House; Best Team: Duffy House.
Duffy House emerged triumphant, securing the Overall Trophy in both the English and Hindi Debate, bringing the event to a memorable conclusion.
