While the College basks in the glory of its centenary year, The Debating Society, SRCC carries forward this zeal, boasting of a debating legacy of 50+ years with trailblazing alumni such as Late Shri Arun Jaitley, Mr Navtej Sharma, Mr Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, among many others.
The student-run organization hosted the 20th edition of its flagship event, the Shri Ram Debating Festival, brought on by its title sponsor, KPMG. Once again, embellishing its reputation for hosting one of Asia's largest and most prestigious Asian parliamentary debating tournaments, this three-day celebration of oratorical genius and critical thinking began on March 14 with a keynote address from KPMG. Evidently, this grand event has not gone unnoticed by the corporate world. Its previous affiliations extend to noteworthy partners such as EY, Microsoft, Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil, and beyond stand testimony to that fact.
Apart from well-seasoned debaters, it is also the breeding ground for budding debaters who hone and sculpt their debating skills with meaningful discourse that discusses and shapes the tangled mazes of the present-day geopolitics, morality and social philosophy.
This year, gracing the occasion with their august presence, standing testament to SRDF’s impeccable standards of fairness and intellectual rigour, the society had brought forth a core adjudication panel, including Jane Mentzinger, who served as the Chief Adjudicator in Ottawa WUDC and Angad Singh Chawala, who served as the Deputy Chief Adjudicator in South China Australs. Joining them was Mahor Nagda, the Deputy Core Adjudicator Elect for Hanoi ABP. In addition to them, the panel included Andrew Chen, who will serve as the Deputy Chief Adjudicator in the WUDC Ottawa, Dutch EUDC and has served as the same at Panama WSDC and Jane Mentzinger, who served as the Chief Adjudicator in Ottawa WUDC. The event started off with a learning-enfused session on preparation time, argumentation and rebuttals by the two adjudicators.
The event included a knowledge session by Mr. Naveen Aggarwal, the Delhi-NCR Managing Partner at KPMG India. He shared illuminating perspectives on global economic shifts, business dynamics, and international trade, delivering them in a witty yet analytical tone. He presented thoughtful advice with a hint of humour on how adaptability, perseverance and mindset are the pillars of success. He sparked insightful discourse on artificial intelligence,
leaving students inspired to follow a path similar to his. He also touched upon artificial intelligence, sparking engaging questions as well. Students keenly took note of his guidelines of achieving success in the corporate world and developed an awe towards Mr. Naveen as a personality they all can emulate from.
The three-day festival witnessed two rounds of debating on Saturday, three rounds on Sunday, and high-stake outrounds on the final day, Monday. Speakers deliberated amongst a multitude of themes like international economics, politics, culture and media etc. What elevates SRDF beyond the ordinary is the atmosphere of lively revelry as the organisers engaged in rhythmically charged dances based on the theme of the motions. The infectiously vibrant ambience made the tournament cognitively and emotionally stimulating.
The debating fraternity participated with eager hearts, successfully proving their mettle and competing for a prize pool of more than 2 lakhs. What truly granted them respite from the labour of heated intellectual rigour was The Debating Society, SRCC’s hospitality, which beamed with an assortment of delectable and scrumptious refreshments and an amicable organising company.
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