The Vellore Institute of Technology won the seventh NALSAR Inter-Varsity Debating Championship, conducted by NALSAR University of Law. The tournament spanned three days, running from the 3th to the 5th of September. It witnessed the participation of 72 teams, with two members each, and a number of adjudicators from across the country. An able team of NALSAR students, led by Tournament Director, Pranshul Joshi, spearheaded the event.
The Core Adjudicators for the event were Amrit Daswaney (Champion, RVDT 2014; Finalist NALSAR IV 2015, MSRMPD 2015), Jasmine Ho Abdullah (Champion, Cambridge IV 2015; 2nd on tabs, WUDC 2016; Four-time UADC grand finalist), Varun Baliga (Quarterfinalist, UADC 2016; Quarterfinalist/first-breaking team, HKDO 2015, Octofinalist, MDO 2016), Aniruddha Basu (Champion, SMU Hammers 2014; Finalist, ABP 2012; Octofinalist, UADC 2014), Ira Chadha-Sridhar (Champion, NLSD 2016; Champion, IIT KGP PD 2016; Champion NLUD 2014), and Jainah (Grandfinalist, UADC 2016, 2015; Top 10 Speaker, UADC 2016, 2015; Quarterfinalist, Australs 2015) – all reputed names in the debating circuit. The equity officer for the event was Ms. Achitha Jacob.
The format involved four teams of two members each – the Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition. Teams were given topics (“motions”) on the spot and had fifteen minutes to prepare before each person delivered speeches of seven minutes, open to points of information from the opposite bench.
The final round of the competition featured two teams from VIT, a team from NLS, and a team comprising a school student from Chennai and a student from VIT, debating the motion “This House, as the feminist movement, would endorse the Ethics of Care”. The team from VIT comprising Abhilaksh Sharma and Gautam Sridhar was crowned the Champions of the 7th NALSAR IV.
The award for Best Adjudicator went to Vignesh Hariharan from MSR-Law, while the Meera Sinha Award for Best Speaker went to Hemanth Chakravarty.
