NUJS PD 101

1. What is Parliamentary Debate?

The NUJS Parliamentary Debate follows the Asian Style of Debating or the 3-on-3 format. In this form of debate, there are two teams, one representing the Government and the other representing the Opposition. It is the role of the government to propose the topic for discussion and defend it, and the role of the opposition is to attack it successfully. This group of 6 people along with the Adjudicator(s) present are collectively referred to as the ‘Parliament’ [or ‘House’].

2. Who is an Adjudicator ?

The task of deciding the winner is in the hands of a neutral party called the Adjudicator. An adjudicator is a person who determines the crucial issues or the crux of the debate and then decides whether the motion stands or falls. At the end of the debate, an adjudicator declares his/her verdict and consequently engages with teams to explain the reasoning of the decision.

3. How many teams can one college send ?

A college can send a maximum of two teams. However, feel free to contact us at lds.nujs@gmail.com if your college wants to send a bigger contingent. Requests for extra teams will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.

4. What is a cross team?

A cross team consists of team members who do not either belong to the same Institution or any Institution at all. There is an upper age limit of 35 years for all members of a cross team. For example: X from Institute ABC can form a team with two members from Institute PQR. However, the rules of the debate do not permit the alumni of NUJS to form a cross team.

5. How many Adjudicators can a college send?

There is no bar on the number of Adjudicators a college can send. We encourage colleges to send a good number of Adjudicators for the tournament.

6. Who are independent Adjudicators?

Ordinarily, we encourage teams to bring one adjudicator along with them (n+1). However, the tournament is also open to a person who is not affiliated to any Institution or belongs to an Institution which is not participating in the tournament. Such a person would be an independent Adjudicator. Please note that if more than one Adjudicator is accompanying a given team, then the additional Adjudicator will have to register as an independent adjudicator.

7. How do I register for the debate ?

Registration for the debate can only be done through the website. As you will notice, you may register as an institutional team, a cross team or as an independent adjudicator. Please fill out the required details carefully and we request you not to register the same team more than once. If you have any problems with the registration process you may contact us at: lds.nujs@gmail.com, or contact any member of the lds (details of which have been provided on the site).

8. Is there a registration fee for the tournament?

Yes, there is a registration fee. For Indian teams/adjudicators,the registration fee is Rs.2000 per person. For international teams/adjudicators, the registration fee is $70 [USD] per person. Please note that this amount is inclusive of your accommodation, food, and transport (accommodation – debate venue; debate venue – accommodation) for all four days of the debate tournament.

9. Will accommodation be taken care of by the organizers ?

The Organizers of the debate will be providing accommodation to all outstation participants who require accommodation. The exact location of the accommodation and other details will be intimated to the participants closer to the dates of the tournament.

10. Will travel during the debate be taken care of by the organizers ?

The Organizers will be organizing travel from the accommodation to the venue of the debate (and back as well).

11. Will the organizers pay for travel to Kolkata ?

The Organizers will unfortunately not be in a position to provide financial assistance to participants regarding travel to and from Kolkata. If this position changes, the participants will be intimated at the earliest.

12. Will organizers provide food during the competition ?

The Organizers will be providing all three meals for the duration of the tournament. If teams wish to eat in nearby restaurants, then we would ask you to refer to the All About Kolkata page on the website, where a long list of eating and drinking joints have been put up.

13. Where will the debate take place ?

The Debate will be taking place on the University Campus, and all teams will be required to report each morning on Campus to begin each round of debate. The address of the college is: The WB National University of Juridical Sciences, Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan, 12, LB Block, Sector III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 700098

14. Is there any dress code during the debate ?

There is no formal dress code for the debate tournament, however considering the debate is in January this year, we suggest teams come prepared for slightly cold weather.