Ashoka Team Beats 29 Colleges to Win the Asian Parliamentary Debate

Pragyna Divakar, Class of 2020

A group of three Ashokans — Jibraan Mansoor (UG 18), Nachiket Vaidya (UG 20), and Aritro Bose (UG 19) — participated in the Asian Parliamentary Debate held in SSCBS, Rohini, on the 1st, 2nd and 4th of September. After clearing the five preliminary rounds as well as the quarters and semis, the trio won the final round, beating 29 other colleges. They won Rs. 33,000 as prize money for the debate.

The Asian Parliamentary Debate covered a wide range of topics including medical rights, activism, religion, international relations, and communism. The topics of politics, and gender, which was the focus of the final round, were particularly enjoyed by our winners.

“There was a lot of focus on gender”, commented Aritro. “That was a refreshing difference from most other colleges because gender is a thing that a lot of people tend to compartmentalize”.

Nachiket, for whom this was a first win, remarked that teaming up with two of his closest friends on campus was a rewarding experience.

The three students are seasoned debaters. They are also active members of the Ashoka Debating Union. This semester, they hope to have more on-campus debates in addition to participating in those held in other colleges.

This weekend, Jibraan, Nachiket, and Aritro will be participating in Trivium, a debate hosted by Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.