Debating Matters India is jointly organised by the British Council India and the Institute of Ideas. Now entering its fifth year, the competition is running Regional Finals in eight cities: Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Guwahati.

India, with its strong tradition of debate and extensive schools debating scene, is a wonderful country to introduce the Debating Matters ethos and approach to. Pragati Mitta, a debater from Delhi Public School, Noida, which enters numerous debating competitions, told us that Debating Matters allowed her team to “experience a whole new dimension of debating” because “unlike other debate competitions” it “emphasised more on the research and preparation than the sound bites and semantics”.

The competition is supported by Shell Companies India and the Wellcome Trust. Find out more about the success of past years of the competition below and for full information about this year’s competition see the Debating Matters India micro site.

DM India National Final, Delhi 2011

The fourth year of Debating Matters India concluded with the crowning of Our Lady Queen of the Missions as the national champions of Debating Matters India 2011. Eight schools from across India took part in the three day event at the British Council offices in Delhi. Over 300 schools entered the competition, with just 96 making it through to the autumn Regional Finals, and from those events the very best 8 schools secured a place at the National Final.  Read the full story about the Indian National Final.

The event was a huge success, with some excellent debates on land acquisition, drugs in sport, the role of civil society in India’s democracy, euthanasia, and finally whether India should pursue soft, or super power status.

After some extremely close debates, Our Lady Queen of the Missions School triumphed as the winners of the 2011 competition and will be travelling to London this year, to take on the UK winners. A close second, Christ Junior College took the runners up slot, with one debater, Nikunj Agarwal, taking the prize for best individual.

See the latest Debating Matters India 2010 video below to hear why students, teachers and judges had such a good time at the DM India National Final in Chennai.

2009/10 DM India National Final video

2008/09 DM India National Final video

FURTHER HELP

Visit the British Council’s Debating Matters India competition website.

If you’d like to see Debating Matters expand to more countries please contact the competition’s director, Tony Gilland.