News Coverage of the 1st NLS Debate Junior

And the word spreads. The event got a fair amount of regional publicity. Here are a few links to the pieces on the first edition, before and after.

Newspolitan on 4th November, 2011 (Friday)

http://www.newspolitan.com/india/bangalore/2011/11/04/bangalore-miror-NLS-debaters-teach-city-students-verbal-warfare

Bangalore Mirror on 4th November, 2011 (Friday)

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=10&contentid=2011110420111104232212575f3ed20ac#ftr2

(e-Paper)

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?skin=pastissues2&enter=LowLevel&AW=1320990841765

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Search&Key=BGMIR/2011/11/05/7/Ar00700.xml&CollName=BGMIR_ARCHIVE_2009&DOCID=221351&Keyword=%28%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3ENLS%3Cand%3E%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3EDebaters%29&skin=pastissues2&AppName=2&ViewMode=HTML

Deccan Herald on 9th November, 2011 (Wednesday)

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/203748/word-war-its-law-school.html#top

Cheers!

--
Sounak Sarkar
IV Year B.A. LL.B. (Hons.)
National Law School of India University

Article on the Ramayana 300 Essays Controversy

Hi everyone!

Check out the link:


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/The-Authorised-Ramayana/articleshow/10658269.cms

Based on the finals motion, the issue only seems to be picking up! It's quite a candid piece exposing the fragility of the value behind of such censorship. Interestingly, it points out the inevitability of such concealment eventually backfiring on the community. It also raises interesting questions. Can we rid ourselves of the ostensible virtuousness expounded by such tales? 

"So is this 'sanitising' an inevitable movement, an ineluctable step towards 'civilising'? To return from where i started, the 'uncivilised' Mrinmoyee in Ray's film must be brought into the fold of civilisation, through the taming of her instincts. Indeed, how precarious must we feel with the dark stranger that resides within us?"

Pay careful attention to the piece. It points out a perspective different from that of the educators' or historian's. It focuses on the social connotations of such censorship. Hence, the issue here questions the social benefit of preventing such versions from coming out, instead of pointing out a different thread of consequentialist questions which were argued by the finalist teams. Hence, is a highly filtered and unadulterated version of any folklore truly beneficial? What's the value in preserving such purportedly "untarnished" and perhaps overly appropriate versions of literature? 

This is certainly an opportunity to widen your horizon about the broader repercussions of such a move. Also, think about how even from a religion point of view, is religion for the sake of religion indeed the best way to propagate religious faith? Isn't it better for a religion itself for people to reinforce their faith in view of rational critique? These serve as alternate rationales to argue the same claim, that the move might have been a blunder. Should questioning one's faith be compromised for the benefit of a fragile and tenuous form of integrity? Can the morality we derive from a tale like Ramayana be designed and controlled by only a few?

What's really cool is that the author is a psychoanalyst! (Remember our module on perspectives?)

The Table of Scores

Hi everyone!

Here is the link to access the table of scores that were awarded throughout the tournament. This would give you the exact picture of your standings, in case you're curious.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApY3Qb9F2RvydG9meWl4UkZvZHRzb29ZY3dJRjRlcUE

Report and Results of the 1st NLS Debate - Junior, 2011

The 1st NLS Debate – Junior was held between the 4^th and 7^th of November in the NLSIU campus. Thirty four teams from several leading high schools across Bangalore competed against each other in the Asian Style Parliamentary Debate format, akin to the World Schools Debate Championship. The preliminary rounds were held on 6^th with the teams facing off each other in five preliminary rounds. The top eight teams advanced into the Quarter Finals on 7^th.

In the Grand Final, “The Witty Warriors” comprising of Aravind Srinivasan, Anjali Bhargav and Pooja Adiga defeated “The Parliament” comprising of Ujval Mohan, Sesh Sadasivam and Malini Srikrishna, both teams representing Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE. The debate was won by a majority vote of 7-2 in a very close and exciting match. The motion for the Grand Final was “This House Believes that Delhi University was wrong in dropping “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations” from its History Syllabus.”

Dharini Prasad representing Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE and Karan Gupta representing Christ Junior College shared the award for the Best Speaker of the Tournament. Dharini from Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE, also won the award for the Most Stylish Speaker, meant to reward the transition from other speaking competitions at the school level to this format.

In the first tournament of its kind in India, the teams showed an amazing learning curve, having spoken in the tournament after only two workshops conducted previously in their schools and on campus, a day prior to the tournament. The speeches were for duration of 5 minutes. The progress among the students in the pool was remarkable. Each round focused around a theme, and two of the three preliminary rounds, as well as the Finals were prepared rounds for which the motion had been announced prior to the tournament.

Here are the full results of the tournament –

The 8 Top Teams (in order of Break)

1. Witty Warriors [Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE] (Winners)
2. Christ Junior College – 1 (Quarter Finalists)
3. The Parliament [Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE] (Runners-Up)
4. The Zenith [National Public School, Indiranagar] (Semi Finalists)
5. The Devil’s Advocates (Quarter Finalists)
6. Cicero’s Angels [Baldwin Girls’ High School] (Quarter Finalists)
7. Army Public School – 1 (Semi Finalists)
8. Devilish Debaters (Quarter Finalists)

The Top 10 Speakers of the Tournament

1. Karan Gupta (Christ Junior College) [Best Speaker]
1. Dharini (Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE) [Best Speaker, Most Stylish Speaker]
2. Aravind Srinivasan (Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE)
3. Ujval Mohan (Sri Kumaran’s Children’s Home, CBSE)
4. Sumedha (National Public School, Indiranagar)
5. Siddharth Saxena (Inventure Academy)
6. Samvida (National Public School, Indiranagar)
7. Adrija (National Public School, Indiranagar)
8. Aditya Menon (Army Public School)
9. Neeti Ganjur (Inventure Academy)

The Motions

Round 1(Prepared) [Sports]

This House believes that hosting an F1 race does more harm than good to developing countries.

Round 2 (Impromptu) [Media]

This house believes that newspapers ought not to carry paid news.

Round 3 (Prepared) [Civil Rights]

This House condemns the assassination of Anwar Al Awlaki

Round 4 (Impromptu) [School]

This House will allow the use of Corporal Punishment in schools

Round 5 (Impromptu) [Religion]

This House will disallow wearing religious symbols in schools

Quarter Finals (Impromptu) [Ethical Dilemma]

This House, being the ship filled with law abiding citizens of Gotham, should blow up the other ship

Semi Finals (Impromptu) [Science and Technology]

This house will abandon space exploration.

Grand Final (Prepared) [History and Education]

This House Believes that Delhi University was wrong in dropping “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations” from its history syllabus.

We thank all the volunteers who helped us out to make this tournament a smooth and fun experience for the all the participants. We’ll be back. Until then…

Motion for the Grand Final

Hi,

As we promised, here is the motion for the finals. Take a chance and get cracking!

Finals (Prepared): History & Education

"Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations" is an essay that documents the different versions of the Ramayana, passed down in different languages and cultures over the years. Three years ago, the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the training squad for Bharatiya Janata Party hopefuls, vandalized the History Department of Delhi University to protest its inclusion in the syllabus. Last month, the academic council finally removed the essay, one of great scholarly import, citing the hurt it caused to the religious sentiments of Hindus. Is this reaction similar to existing German laws on Nazi symbols? Would academic value transcend any claims, religious or otherwise?

This House Believes that Delhi University was wrong in dropping "Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations" from its history syllabus.

Revised Schedule for The 1st NLS Debate - Junior

Day 1 – Sunday, 6^th November, 2011

[Day starts after breakfast]

When?	What?
9.00am – 9.30am	Opening Ceremony for NLSD Junior
	Welcome address
	Announcing schedule for the day
	Briefing the teams [explaining structure and rules of the tournament]
9.30am	Match ups and motions release for Round 1
9.30am – 11.00am	Round 1 [Including Adjudication feedback]
11.00pm – 11.10am	Tea/Snacks Break [Provided by the College]
11.10am	Match ups and motions release for Round 2
11.10am – 12.40pm	Round 2 [Including Adjudication feedback]
12.40pm – 1.10pm	Lunch Break [Provided by the college]
1.15pm	Match ups and motions release for Round 3
1.15pm – 2.45pm	Round 3 [Including Adjudication feedback]
2.45pm – 3.00pm	Last break/Stretch your legs/Breathe some air/Get social!
3.00pm – 4.30pm	Round 4 [Including Adjudication feedback]
4.30pm – 5.00pm	Announcement of results for the day
	Experiences and Feedback
	Instructions for next day/Closing

Day 2 – Monday, 7^th November, 2011

When?	What?
9.00am – 9.30am	Announcing schedule for the day
	Instructions to teams
	Explaining the break
	Assigning rooms and runners et al
9.30am	Match ups and Motions release for Round 5
9.30am – 11.00am	Round 5 [Closed Round - No Adjudication feedback]
11.00am – 11.30am	Announcing the breaks!
	Explaining the Quarter Final rounds format - Closed Rounds and Panels judging
	Tea/Snacks Break!
11.30am	Match ups and motions release for the Quarter Finals
11.30am – 1pm	Quarter Finals
1pm – 1.30pm	Lunch Break [Provided by the College]
1.30pm – 1.45pm	Announcement of Quarter Finals results
1.45pm	Motion for the Semi Finals release
1.45pm – 3.15pm	Semi Finals
3.15pm – 3.30pm	Break, Announcement of Semi Final results!
3.30pm	Motion for the Grand Finals! (Extended Prep Time)
3.30pm – 5.00 pm	Grand Finals
5.00pm – 5.30pm	Announcing results of the Grand Finals and handing over prizes
	Distribution of Prizes for Best speakers & Special Prizes
	Meet Teacher Representatives, Explain Plan and Feedback]