Birla High School, Kolkata, recently hosted the 27th L.N. Birla Memorial Invitational Debate 2026 to commemorate its founder, Shri L.N. Birla. The two-day event brought together some of the finest young debaters from leading schools, providing them with a platform to demonstrate critical thinking, articulate expression, and reasoned argument while fostering healthy intellectual exchange.

The Preliminary Round, held at Birla High School campus, commenced with the national song, followed by the formal welcome of the distinguished guests, judges, chairperson, teachers and participants. Farida Singh, dean Academics, addressed the gathering and encouraged the participants to uphold the true spirit of debating through informed discussion and respectful disagreement. The preliminary round was conducted under the guidance of chairperson Swati Gautam and an eminent panel of judges, who ensured the fair and smooth conduct of the competition. Eighteen participating schools competed with remarkable enthusiasm, confidence and eloquence, making the preliminary round intellectually stimulating and highly competitive. The event also featured an interaction with Ms. Swati Gautam, whose insightful words inspired the students. At the conclusion of the preliminaries, the eight highest-scoring teams advanced to the Finals.

The Final Round was held at the Vidya Mandir Auditorium. The finalists debated the motion, “Gender Equality is a Utopian Pursuit.” The event was graced by Justice Dipankar Datta, Supreme Court of India, as the chief guest, while Dr. Kunal Sarkar presided as the chairperson. The esteemed panel of judges comprised Sudeshna Roy, Anil Vasvani, Tania Bhardwaj, and Prof. Shivaji Dasgupta. The finalists impressed the audience with their depth of research, persuasive arguments, confident delivery and thoughtful rebuttals, making the contest both engaging and intellectually enriching.

At the prize distribution ceremony, Mahadevi Birla World Academy was declared the Overall Best Team, while Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, emerged as the Runner-up Team. Niilesh Ghosh of Birla High School received the Best Speaker Award, and Atira Dewan of Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, was adjudged the Runner-up Best Speaker. The audience verdict favoured the Proposition. The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks, marking the successful culmination of yet another memorable edition of the L.N. Birla Memorial Invitational Debate, which upheld its rich legacy of academic excellence, intellectual engagement and public speaking.

Also read: Mahadevi Birla World Academy wins L.N. Birla Memorial Invitational Debate