1 Week to Go
Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
And that is what we will witness at the finals of the School and College debates, being hosted at the sixth edition of Valley of Words, Lit fest in collaboration with Mantrana Debating Society of DAV (P.G.) College, Dehradun and Oak Grove School, Mussoorie on the 12th-13th of November, 2022.
Running in its fourth edition this year, VoW and Mantrana Debating Society, is rooting for a common goal: promoting expression and discussion amongst the youth. From a district level debating competition in 2019 to a National Level the following year, Mantrana has grown in leaps and bounds. This year they return with much more in store!
The free of cost competition, brings together participants from all corners of the country. Post the preliminary level elimination, the quarter-finals further refined the participants who will now fight it out at the semi-finals with four finalists making their way to the Grand finale on the 12th of November. Judged by eminent panelists this annual feat i.e. VoW-Mantrana Debate Championship is gaining popularity amongst college going students from across India. Topics for the debate are relevant to both national and international scenario and provide food for thought not only to the participants but also to its growing numbers of online viewers. Director Mantrana Debating Society, Dr. Onima Sharma further elaborates, “We live in a world of hyper information. With the advent and the rise of the internet and the new media, students have access to more information than ever before. Debate activities can be effective tools to decipher and process this ever increasing tide of information.” She further adds, “This competition is organized to cultivate confidence, public speaking skills and critical thinking that are indispensable in daily life.”
Last year, including in its growing ambit of competitions, Valley of Words kickstarted the VoW School Debate. Organisations such as Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Sainik Schools under the Ministry of Railways, DAV Schools, BSK Schools and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti are just some of the participating organisations for the VoW National School Debate Competition which happens to be bilingual this season.
Anupam Singh, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the debate adds, “Oak Grove School, Mussoorie has been instrumental in being the technical and presentation partner for VoW two years running now. This year we will have physical debating rounds among participants from various schools. The final six speakers, three from English and three from Hindi, irrespective of the organisation that they represent will then fight it out for the first position at the finale of the Valley of Word, Lit Fest on the 13th of November.”
As the saying goes, ‘The purpose of debates is to explore issues, not end them,’ and these young students from schools and colleges prove just that as these young-minds put their best thought forward.
