Kolkata: A four-day event, organised by the Calcutta Boys’ Literary Society, the Clifford Hicks International Debate Competition, concluded on Saturday as students from seven schools showcased their debating skills in the finals. The topic for the debate was ‘Democracy has not failed India’.
The competition was held in two categories: Category I for Classes XI and XII, and Category II for Classes IX and X. The preliminaries, conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, saw 80 participating schools with over 300 participants from local, outstation, and international locations. Seven schools advanced to the finals in Category I, and 10 schools from Category II qualified for the finals.

Two participants from each of the seven schools demonstrated their wit and rhetorical skills on Saturday. They referred to the Citizenship Amendment Act, misuse of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Bilkis Bano probe, cases of Vinod Dua and Krishna Kumar Singh vs Bihar, arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, and the freedom of the press during the debate.
While speaking for the motion, a student from The Future Foundation School said it is a successful democracy since we are aware of its flaws. A student from Calcutta Boys’ School opposed it, saying, “ Is the Citizenship Amendment Act really serving the purpose of a free nation under a democracy?” Meanwhile, a student from Loreto Convent, Asansol, felt that democracy has not failed India because “Governing under a democracy is not a sprint, but a marathon, and a single drop of impure water does not make the entire ocean impure.”
During the event, some thought-provoking topics included ‘We will never actually achieve world peace outside conferences and seminars’, ‘Media must not be allowed to report on ongoing criminal investigations’, and ‘The media’s focus on celebrity culture.’
Bethany High School, Bangalore took the winners trophy in Category II finals, while Gems Millennium School, Dubai was the runner-up and the second runner-up was La Martiniere for Boys and the Bishop’s Co-ed school, Kalyani Nagar, Pune.
Principal and secretary of Calcutta Boys’ School, Raja McGee, said, “The unique factor is that we have international students and we promote making connections on a larger level. .” MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay attended the prize distribution. In Category I, La Martiniere Girls’ College, Lucknow, was the winner, and The Future Foundation School, Kolkata, was the runner-up.