By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Ann Mary School on Friday won the prestigious J L D’Souza Memorial school debate with St. Patrick’s Academy securing the runners-up position.
The participating schools included Ann Mary School, St. Jude’s School, St. Patrick’s Academy, Convent of Jesus and Mary, St. George’s College, Mussoorie, Doon International School and St. Joseph’s Academy which was the host school.
There were seven teams which were named Milton, Keats, Eliot, Byron, Tagore, Wordsworth and Frost. The competition commenced with the preliminary round, conducted simultaneously at two venues in a modified Oxford-style debate format. The Library, designated as Venue A, accommodated four teams—Keats, Byron, Wordsworth and Tagore—and was adjudicated by Dr. Annie Singh and Mr. Jason. The A.V. Room, designated as Venue B, hosted three teams—Frost, Eliot and Milton—and was adjudicated by Dr. Jaspreet and Mr. Randhir Arora.
The motion for the preliminary round was, “This House Would Prioritise the Rights of Indigenous Communities Over Large-scale Infrastructure Projects.” The young debaters displayed commendable confidence, critical thinking and persuasive speaking skills as they presented their arguments, countered opposing viewpoints and responded to questions posed by the interlocutors.
Following an engaging preliminary round, four of the seven participating teams qualified for the final round. The competition then moved to the school auditorium, where all four judges—Dr Annie Singh, Mr. Jason, Mrs. Dr. Jaspreet and Mr. Randhir Arora—constituted the adjudicating panel.
The final round was conducted in a modified Cambridge debate format, with the qualifying teams competing as Proposition and Opposition.
The first contest witnessed Team Eliot of St. Patrick’s Academy (Proposition) locking horns with Team Wordsworth of Doon International School (Opposition) on the motion, “This House regrets the normalisation of recording or sharing other people’s lives without their consent.” The debate generated thought-provoking arguments surrounding privacy, individual autonomy and the ethical implications of contemporary digital behaviour.
The second contest saw Team Milton of Ann Mary School (Proposition) pitted against Team Tagore of St. George’s College, Mussoorie (Opposition) on the motion, “This House believes that true freedom can exist only within the framework of rules.” The speakers presented compelling perspectives on the relationship between individual liberty, responsibility and societal regulations.
Both contests were marked by spirited exchanges, incisive rebuttals and well-reasoned arguments, reflecting the participants’ intellectual depth, presence of mind and command over the English language.
Following the final round, Ann Mary School emerged as the winner of the J. L. D’Souza Memorial Inter-School English Debate, while St. Patrick’s Academy secured the runners-up position.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by the Principal, Reverend Brother Joseph, who appreciated the dedication, preparation and commendable efforts of every participant. He congratulated the winning schools on their achievements and expressed his gratitude to all the participating institutions an accompanying teachers for contributing to the success of the event. The four esteemed judges were presented with mementos as tokens of appreciation for their valuable time, expertise and contribution to the successful conduct of the competition.