Under the flagship banner of The Vocals, the Debating Society hosted the much-anticipated Best Speakers’ Debate 2026 – The Closing Argument at the Edmund Rice Hall, bringing together rhetoric, reason and rebuttal.

The programme was deftly anchored by the Masters of Ceremonies, Pragun Parashar, Newel John (XII D) and Aryehh Srivastava (XI D), whose exuberant presence set an energetic tone for the event.

The event commenced on an auspicious note with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Br. Robert Fernandes, Principal; Mr. Naresh Chopra, Headmaster (Senior School); and Mrs. Garg, Coordinator (Senior School), followed by a soul-stirring rendition of How Great Thou Art by the Senior School Choir. This was followed by Mrs. Namrata Menezes, who led the gathering in prayer, seeking the divine blessings of the Almighty.

The students of Grades 11 and 12 formed an enthusiastic audience, encouraging the participants and lending their support through their spirited presence and applause.

The proceedings remained structured and well-paced under the competent chairpersonship of Adeesh Sharma (XII C), Siddhansh Govind (XII A), Suhaan Samuel Basheer (XI D) and Ishaan Banerjee (XI E). The timekeeping responsibilities were efficiently carried out by Mohammad Abuturab (XI D) and Pranay Negi (XII E), ensuring that the debate adhered to the prescribed time limits throughout.

Our Principal, Br. Robert Fernandes, formally declared the debate open and praised the concerted efforts of the students, teachers and organising team. The event was further enriched by the presence of a distinguished panel of adjudicators, Rev. Joy Halder, Dr. Nidhi Verma and Ms. Priya Jain, who were felicitated by the management with tokens of appreciation.

Adding to the enthusiasm, a specially curated opening video, prepared by Ayush Sharma (XII F), offered a glimpse of the Society’s remarkable journey. The competing teams were subsequently introduced by the chairpersons.

The hospitality team, under the guidance of Mrs. Jyotsana Sarpal and Mrs. Nimmi Jose, ensured seamless coordination and service throughout the programme.

Following an intellectually charged exchange of arguments, the audience engaged in the open-house session while the judges deliberated. Mrs. Ruth Sebastian assisted the judges during their deliberations. Prior to the declaration of results, Dr. Nidhi Verma shared insightful feedback and valuable observations on the performances.

Mr. Piyush Emmanuel and Mrs. Susan John facilitated the distribution of trophies and certificates. Mrs. Berly Abraham conceptualised the report.

The event moved towards its culmination with an address by the President of the Debating Society, Tanveer Singh Narula, who shared his reflections and conveyed his gratitude to the school management.

Mr. Naresh Chopra, Headmaster (Senior School), delivered the formal vote of thanks, acknowledged the sustained efforts of the participants and commended the innovative team format adopted by the Debating Society.

After several rounds of eloquent advocacy and rigorous rebuttal, the results were announced:

Results

Best Speaker

Tanveer Singh Narula (XII C)

Best Team – Grade 12

* Hariaksh Maggo (XII E)

* Tanveer Singh Narula (XII C)

* Arnav Ahuja (XII C)

* Yusuf Nayeem (XII D)

* Shaurya Bajaj (XII A)

Second Best Speaker

Harshaan Pusuluri (XI E)

Second Best Team – Grade 11

* Raghav Kalra (XI D)

* Pranabesh Maity (XI C)

* Harshaan Pusuluri (XI E)

* Ashish Suri

* Rishant Arora

The Loving Cup was awarded to the Best Team, while the Salver Cup was presented to the Second Best Team.

The event concluded with the School Anthem, and the curtains fell on a memorable day that celebrated the art of persuasion, reasoned discourse and eloquent expression.

 - The Debating Society (Senior School)