The Indian Debating League (IDL) successfully hosted the Harvard College Debating UnionโIndian Team Qualifiers 2025 at Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS) in Jaipur this week, marking a historic milestone in Indiaโs youth debate scene. With over 80 teams and 700 attendees, the event has become one of the largest debating tournaments in India, featuring over 200 debates across three days. The competition was not just about debating but also about resilience, antifragility, and turning setbacks into opportunities for growth.
The winners of the tournament,ย Zaara Chinoy, Adyant Gupta, Arnav Singh, and Aashi Bubnaย fromย The Cathedral and John Connon School, emerged asย Open Category Championsย and secured direct qualification to the final stage of ISDS Indian Squad Selection. They will proudly represent India at theย Harvard WSDC Tournament 2026 in Massachusetts, USA.
Theย Open Category Runner-Up team โ Rabaani Mehra and Abana Dhillon (Invictus International School), Naisha Gupta and Vedika Babbar (Step by Step School, Noida), and Shree Radha Sanjay (Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Adyar)ย โ also earned the opportunity to represent India at Harvard in 2026. Theย Novice Category winners from Gyanshree School โ Sohana Bhatia, Samarth Girotra, and Mohisha Grover โย will similarly represent India at Harvard in 2026.
In addition, the tournament recognizedย Open Best Speakers, includingย Adyant Gupta (The Cathedral and John Connon School), Siddhartha Manaktala (Pathways), Ishaan Bajaj (Jayshree Periwal International School), Shree Radha Sanjay (Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Adyar), Anaaya Kanchan (Neev Academy), Abana Dhillon (Invictus International School, Amritsar), Suhani Agarwal (National Public School, Koramangala), Rohan Udani (The Cathedral and John Connon School), Rabaani Mehra (Invictus International School), and Kashish Jain (Heritage International Xperiential School).ย These exceptional speakers advanced to theย Intermediate Round for ISDS India Squad Selection, underscoring the depth of talent across schools.
Theย quarter-finalist teamsย also made their mark by earning the honor of representing India at theย Shanghai WSDC Open 2025. This includesย Jia Laud, Sanaa Seksaria, Alekha Kilachand, Sanjana Bhasin, Siddhant Sanghvi, Rohan Udani, Rhea Hiremath, and Aditya Merchantย (The Cathedral and John Connon School), as well asย Shreyan Aniruddh Padhi, Aishanya Sarvani, and Snigdha Singhย (Sunbeam English School, Bhagwanpur). Their achievements highlight Indiaโs expanding global debating footprint and readiness for international competition.
The IDL Harvard College Debating Union Qualifiers 2025 has provided an invaluable platform for students to showcase their debating skills while learning valuable life lessons.ย โOur debaters didnโt just withstand pressure โ they grew stronger because of it. That is the true victory IDL gives to Indiaโs youth,โย said Anjali Tiwary, Founder & CEO of IDL.
Now with the success of the IDL Debate Hackathon in collaboration with SarvamAI, wherein 1,230 developers presented solutions to scale theย ย future skills across India and Asia in a phased manner. The event has further cemented Indiaโs position on the global debate map, and with the upcoming Asiaโs Largest Debating Tournament in 2026, IDL is poised to continue shaping the future of Indiaโs youth.
The tournament saw the presence of eminent guests such asย Amit Jain, Co-Founder & CEO of CarDekho, andย Aman Gupta, Co-Founder & CMO of boAt, who shared their journeys of innovation and leadership.ย Amit Jain remarked,โDebating is the most important pillar in my entrepreneurial journey to communicate. Communication is a skill required when pitching to investors, talking to my team, or speaking to my customers. With debating, India is rising.โย Aman Gupta added,ย โDebating is not just about winning; itโs about articulating thoughts clearly. Itโs about participating, and Iโm proud of how it transformed my daughter.โ
