Debating Society
Round Table – II - Is Economic Independence the Key to Women Empowerment?
Date: 29 October 2024
On October 29, 2024, the Debating Society organised their second Round Table debate on the topic, Is Economic Independence the Key to Women Empowerment? in association with the Smt. Anandiben Patel Centre for Women’s Studies, Kristu Jayanti College. The session brought forth compelling arguments from participants, with thought-provoking discussions on whether financial autonomy alone can ensure women's empowerment or if it requires a combination of social, educational, and cultural factors. Ms. Priyanka Ganesh (Roll No. 22CMP452) delivered an insightful and persuasive argument, earning her the Best Speaker award. The session was skillfully moderated by the Debating Society student secretaries, Ms. Avni Madaan (Roll No. 22BTGE16) and Mr. Yuvraj Gawra (Roll No. 22JOEN26), who kept the debate engaging and balanced. Dr. Sreedevi Santhosh, the faculty in-charge of the Debating Society, served as the judge for the event, ensuring a fair evaluation of the participants' performances. The debate provided a valuable platform for students to voice their perspectives on a crucial issue, making it a successful and enlightening session.
Round Table - I by Debating Society on Censorship in Media
Date: 15 October 2024
On October 15, 2024, the Debating Society organized a round table debate on the topic Censorship in Media. The session featured compelling arguments from participants, with thought-provoking discussions on whether media censorship protects societal values or impedes free expression. Ms. Jeeya Thappa (Roll No. 24BGBB24) delivered an insightful and persuasive argument, earning her the Best Speaker award. The debate was skillfully moderated by the Debating Society student secretaries, Ms. Avni Madaan (22BTGE16) and Mr. Yuvraj Gawra (22JOEN26), who ensured a balanced and engaging discussion. Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis, the faculty in charge of the Debating Society, served as the judge, providing a fair evaluation of the participants' performances. This debate offered students a valuable platform to express diverse perspectives on a pressing issue, making it a successful and enlightening session.
Debating Society Orientation
Date: 24 September 2024
The Kristu Jayanti Debating Society organised an orientation session for its student members on 24 September, 2024 from 1:40 to 2:30 in H-105. Student secretaries of the society, Mr. Yuvraj Gawra (22JOEN26) and Ms. Avni Madan (22BTGE16) instructed its members on the planned events and their objectives for this academic year. They held a mock roundtable session which oriented the students towards the rules of debating. The faculty in-charges of the society, Dr. Sreedevi Santhosh and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis emphasized on the expected enthusiastic participation from the students in the planned events and explained the policies of the club. It is essential that students of the Debating Society, know what they are in for the year, in terms of knowledge, competition, growth and of course, the pure skill of debating and how it influences them as individuals. The club’s structures, and various forms and about the schedules of competitions in the curriculum of the Debating Society were communicated to the students.
workshop on Debating Skills
Date: 18 April 2024
Debating Society organised a two-hour workshop on Debating Skills on April 8th, 2024, in the P1 conference hall at 1.30 pm. The workshop aimed to mould our existing members by providing valuable tips for debates and MUNs.
Ashiq Mohammed, VI semester student of the BBA programme, an experienced Debater and two-time university Elocution champion, was the resource person for the session. Mr. Ashiq gave a comprehensive lecture on his life journey evolving into an accomplished debater while focusing on clearing the doubts of his fellow members. He focused on how to successfully frame arguments, convince the opposition, and win a motion. His session emphasised the relevance of clarity and coherence in debating or polishing the oratory skills.
The session proved to be immensely valuable to the DebSoc members. The session came to an end by 3.45 pm. Faculty coordinators Dr Rini Reba Mathew, Dr Barnashree Khasnobis and Dr Shrestha Chowdhary, attended and expressed their gratitude to the resource person.
Round Table V
Date: 05 April 2024
Debating Society organised the fifth session of it's Round Table Series on April 5th, 2024 in P1 conference hall at 3.30 pm. The topic for the session was 'Online Activism: Effective or Just Slacktivism?'. The session witnessed our members arguing for and against the topic quoting relevant examples.
Harleen Dhunda, secretary of Debating Society, moderated the debate by intervening and providing valuable feedback. The session reninded the audience along with the members about the significance of activism and analysed the impact of online activism in contemporary scenario.
The debate session came to an end by 4.45 pm with both sides coming to a meaningful conclusion.
Kairos, Annual Extempore Competition
Date: 11 March 2024
Debating Society organised the annual extempore competition, Kairos, to enhance the oratory skills of our students and to provide them with an opportunity to showcase their extempore speaking skills. The prelims of Kairos was conducted on March 11, 2024, from 1.00 pm onwards in A1 Conference Hall. Five finalists were shortlisted to participate in the finals. The finals of Kairos were conducted on March 14, 2024 in M3 Auditorium from 3.30 pm onwards. The first round was ‘Pick and Speak’ where the finalists were given the chance to pick two topics and speak on it for 60 seconds. Two finalists were eliminated and three were selected for the final round, which was ‘Picture Prompt’. Avni Madan from IV semester BSc BTGE won first place, Alan Kinad from II semester BSc BTGE won second place and Swati Kumari from IV semester BBA BA won third place. Fr. Deepu Jacob, Director, Students Welfare felicitated the winners and participants.
Kristu Jayanti Model United Nations 6.0
Date: 15 & 16 February 2024
The 6th edition of Kristu Jayanti Model United Nations, organized by the Debating Society of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), took place on February 15th and 16th, 2024. The event commenced with an inauguration led by Fr. Joshy Mathew, Director, Library and Information Centre, Director, HR Department and Head, Department of English. Subsequent to the inauguration, the various committees of the MUN convened at their designated venues to engage in intensive sessions spanning two days. The event concluded successfully with a Valedictory Session, during which Dr. Gopakumar AV, the Dean of Humanities at Kristu Jayanti College, presented awards to accomplished delegates.
KJMUN 6.0 was meticulously planned and delegated to committees such as the UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council, UN General Assembly, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UN Economic and Social Council, and UN International Press. Throughout the two-day event, delegates demonstrated adept negotiation and diplomacy skills within their respective committees. The proceedings of KJMUN 6.0 commenced on February 16th, 2024, at 10:30 am, promising a day filled with productive management experiences as roll calls, GSLs, and agenda declarations proceeded smoothly. On the second day, committees showcased their talents and efficiently carried out their duties, highlighting their respective agendas and demonstrating that the Model United Nations could also be a platform for enjoyable engagement.
Orientation Series
Date: 09 February 2024
Debating Society organised orientation series for its student members on February 09, 2024 and February 12, 2024 in M1 Audi from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Student coordinators, Ms Harleen Dhunda and Mr. Samarjit Singha introduced the participants with the organization and functioning process of KJMUN. Heads of Logistics, UNODC, UNHRC, UNGA, UNSC instructed the members of various committees on the rules of conducting MUN.
Oratorio – Annual Intracollegiate Debate Competition
Date: 30 January 2024
The Debating Society organized Oratorio on January 30, 2024 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm in A3 Audi, Admin Block. The event structure, carefully planned, allocated a total of six minutes to each participant – one minute for opening remarks and an engaging four-minute period for rebuttals. Round 1 – Challenging Perspectives: The dichotomy at the heart of the discussion revolved around whether the movement should prioritize advocating the narrative that “beauty does not matter” or embrace the alternative perspective that “all bodies are beautiful.” Round 2 – Paradigm Shift in Parenting: The juxtaposition of the “deferred happiness model” against the backdrop of the “protected sphere model” sparked engaging conversations that delved into the very fabric of familial dynamics. Round 3 - Global Economic Dynamics: This round served as a testing ground for the participants’ ability to grapple with the complexities of international finance, geopolitics, and economic strategies. The participants brought to the forefront a myriad of perspectives, addressing questions related to economic sovereignty, market influence, and the potential for mutual growth between developed and developing economies. The judges were Dr. Shreshtha Banerjee from the Department of Law and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis from the Department of English, Kristu Jayanti College. The first prize was awarded to Ms. Avni Madaan from BSC BTGE, second place was taken by Mr. Porchelvan from BCA, and third prize was given to Ms. Swati from BBA (Business Analytics) departments.
Oratorio Prelims
Date: 25 January 2024
Debating Society organized auditions for its annual intracollegiate debate competition Oratorio on January 25, 2024 in M3 Audi. Students across departments participated in this event. Dr. Shrestha from the School of Law, Dr. Sini M. George from the Department of Management, and Dr. Riddhi Sanyal from the Department of Psychology were the judges. Out of 43 total participants, 10 students qualified for Oratorio’s finale.
Round Table IV
Date: 09 January 2024
Debating Society organised its fourth Round Table session on January 09, 2024 on the topic, “Should Space Exploration and Colonisation be a Priority for Humanity?” at 12:00 pm in Council Room, Admin Block. One of the student coordinators, Mr. Samarjit Singh monitored the discussion and the faculty co-coordinators, Dr. Anindita Chaudhary and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis witnessed the event as judges. The participants galvanized their debate on the importance of national development and growth required in present times and on the forms of neo-colonization. Ms. Nishaani Sahoo from BSC Forensic was the winner of this session.
Kairos: An Extempore Competition
Date: 02 November 2023
Debating Society organized “Kairos: An Extempore Competition” on November 02, 2023, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in P1 Conference Hall, PG Block. The students were asked to speak on separate topics. The topics ranged from political, social, and psychological domains. The event was well coordinated by the student coordinators. Dr. Rini Reba Mathew, Dr. Anindita Chowdhury, Dr. Rajlekshmi and Dr. Barnashree were the judges of this event. The best speaker for Kairos 1st prize was won by Mr. Justin Perumal from Vth Sem BTBC, 2nd prize by Mr. Stevin Sham from III Sem JOEN, and 3rd prize won by Mr. Srijan A. H. from III Sem BBA.
Alumni Connect: An Orientation Session
Date: 31 October 2023
Debating Society organized “Alumni Connect: An Orientation Session” on October 31, 2023, via Zoom. An orientation session for the present members of Debating Society shed light on how to construct arguments. This session was beneficial for them to learn the importance of conducting Model United Nations in the college. The former Debating Society Secretaries, Ms Devika Sreejith (Intern, Editorial LLC, Dubai) and Mr. Rohan Srinivas (MSC Student, Imperial College, London) interacted with all the members of the club.
Roundtable III - “One Earth, One Family, One Future – The G20 Summit, a Step towards Sustainability”
Date: 27 October 2023
Debating Society organized the third session of the Round Table series on October 27, 2023, on the topic, “One Earth, One Family, One Future – The G20 Summit, a Step towards Sustainability”. The students conveyed their argument representing both sides of the topic. The event was well coordinated by the student coordinators. Dr. Anindita Choudhury was the judge for choosing the best speaker for this roundtable. The winner was Mr. Yuvraj Gawra (22JOEN26). Dr. Rini Reba Mathew and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis were there in the venue to supervise the session.
Roundtable I - “Nuclear Weapons: Displacement vs Deterrence”
Date: 22 September 2023
Debating Society organized the first session of the Round Table series on September 22, 2023, on the topic, “Nuclear Weapons: Displacement Vs Deterrence”. The student coordinators, Harleen Dhunda and Samarjit Singha moderated the session. The speakers engaged in a debatable exchange. Dr. Sini M. George was the judge of the event. Mr. Ashiq Mohammad from BBA department won the best speaker award. Dr. Rini Reba Mathew and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis gave their valuable inputs after the session. The event took place in P1, Conference Hall, PG Block.
Orientation Session
Date: 11 September 2023
The Debating Society after the successful conduct of the auditions has planned to organize an orientation session to train the selected students for the exclusive events and competitions of the society in the current academic year. The first orientation session for the current academic year was conducted on September 11th, 2023 in P2 Conference Hall in PG Block. The student coordinators, Harleen Dhunda and Samarjit Singha were the resource persons for the session. The students passionately listened to the coordinators while they navigated through the procedures of Debating Society in our college and explained the relevance of Model United Nations. The session also witnessed a mock Round Table which enabled the members to comprehend the Round Table procedure with clarity. Faculty team of the Debating Society was also present during the session. The session ended with teachers sharing their insights and expectations of the Society in the current academic year. The session fruitfully enhanced the oratory and debating skills of the members and helped them to eradicate their doubts regarding the procedures and possibilities of the Society.
“Is Privatisation of Core Sectors in India Economy is a Boon or a Bane”
Date: 04 September 2023
Debating Society organized the second session of the Round Table series on September 04, 2023, on the topic, “Is Privatisation of Core Sectors in India Economy is a Boon or a Bane”. The students conveyed their argument representing both sides of the topic. The event was well coordinated by the student coordinators. Mr. Aebel Thomas Mathew (22ACP604) won the position of best speaker for this roundtable. Dr. Sini M George from the Department of Management was the judge of this session. Dr. Rini Reba Mathew and Dr. Rajlekshmi were there to supervise the session.
Debating Society Auditions
Date: 30-31 August 2023
The Debating Society (DebSoc), after meticulous planning and discussion with both faculty and student team, has planned to conduct the auditions to select the current academic year members on the 30th and 31st of August 2023. The auditions were conducted to select passionate freshers and experienced talented candidates for the current academic year in Debating Society. The auditions intended to target students who wish to become part of the Society, engage in DebSoc exclusive events, and receive coaching to enhance their public speaking and communication abilities. The auditions took place in P1 and P2 conference halls in the PG Block on the 30th and 31st of August, 2023. Students in their second and final years who are existing DebSoc members were exempted from the audition process. Students were also encouraged to select a time slot from the options provided, taking into consideration their availability during free hours, so that their class hours would not be disturbed. Faculty members were assigned with duties for both days of the auditions. The auditions provided a platform for all enthusiastic students from across the deaneries to showcase their oratory and debating skills.
Model United Nations
Date: 16 & 17 February 2023
The much-anticipated Model United Nations was conducted by the Debating Society of Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous) on 16th and 17th February 2023. The MUN was inaugurated by Fr. Emmanuel PJ, Director, of Kristu Jayanti College of Law, Kristu Jayanti College. After the Inauguration, the various offices of the MUN dispersed to their respective venues to begin intensive sessions that continued for two days. The MUN came to a successful close following the Valedictory Session where the chief guest, Dr. Gopakumar AV, Dean of Humanities, Kristu Jayanti College, handed out awards to the successful delegates.
KJMUN 5.0 was planned and delegated meticulously to committees like UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council, UN General Assembly- Crisis, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UN Economic and Social Council and UN International Press. During the two days of KJMUN, each office witnessed their delegates efficiently displaying their negotiation and diplomacy skills. On day I, 16th February 2023, 10:30 am, marked the beginning of the proceedings of the committees of KJMUN 5.0. A smooth beginning with roll calls, GSLs and declarations of the agenda, promised a day full of productive management experience for all. On Day II, the second day of the Model United Nations, showed that things could get fun with time where each committee displayed their talents and effortlessly carried out their duties focusing on their respective agendas.
Orientation for Freshers – During this orientation the students were shown a presentation that detailed the various activities that the debating society organises such as Monthly Round-tables, Oratorio’22, and KJMUN’23. They were made aware of all competitions they can look forward to participate in and organise and the opportunities they will get to attend inter-collegiate debates, Model United Nations and other speaking events hosted by various colleges across the country. The new members of the debating society asked several questions which were answered by the secretaries and the teacher coordinators.
Roundtable I – The Debating Society, Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru, organised a round table discussion on the topic “Will the Right to Bear Arms Lead to a Dystopian Society?” on 21st of October, 2022. It was moderated by the secretaries of the Debating Society, and was judged by Asst. Prof. Chitra Susan Thampy and Dr. Rajeesh C.S., faculty coordinators of the Debating Society. The members had a constructive conversation about the advantages and drawbacks of the right to bear arms while examining the American scenario. They were able to learn more about the subject from the other speakers and supported their statements with precise examples and facts. Akash Negi of BBA-AM B won the title of “Best Speaker” for the session.
Roundtable II – The Debating Society of Kristu Jayanti College Bengaluru organised a second roundtable for debating society participants on “Is Dictatorship is Better than Democracy?” It was moderated by the secretaries of the Debating Society, and was judged by Dr. Rajeesh C.S., and Asst. Prof. Chitra Susan Thampy faculty coordinators of the Debating Society. The members actively participated in the stimulating exchange of dialogues. They showed their skill of having a controlled yet balanced conversation. Despite the opposing point-of-views, they presented themselves with rationality and the entire event displayed their rigour in research. Mayank Bharti from BTGE, 1st semester won the prize for ‘best speaker’.
Roundtable III – The Debating Society, Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru, organised third round table discussion on the topic “Will Artificial Intelligence Transcend Human Intelligence?” on 17th of November, 2022. It was moderated by the secretaries of the Debating Society, and was judged by Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis and Dr. Rini Reba, faculty coordinators of the Debating Society. The members had a constructive conversation about the advantages and drawbacks of the artificial intelligence in the present and future. They were able to learn more about the subject from the other speakers and supported their statements with precise examples and facts. Harleen Dhunda from PYEN, III semester, won the prize for ‘best speaker.’
Roundtable IV – The speakers engaged in a debatable exchange about the rights to speech, how those rights are violated and how those rights can be preserved. The topic for this session was “Is Freedom of Speech Relevant in a Functional Society?” Dr. Rajlekshmi and Dr. Naveeth Babu were the judges of the event. The best speaker award was given to Harish Rathinam from BBA department. Dr. Rini Reba Mathew and Dr. Barnashree Khasnobis gave their valuable inputs after the session.
Roundtable V – Roundtable V was conducted on 31st January, 2023 on the topic, “Can National Education Policy (NEP) Refine the Education System in India?” The participants actively participated in a healthy argument on NEP. They communicated their support as well as refutation towards implementation of NEP. Prof. Rini Reba Mathew was the judge of this event. Vaibhav Arora from IInd Semester, BA English Literature bagged the award for Best Speaker. Prof. Rajlekshmi gave her valuable comments and concluded the session.
Roundtable VI – The sixth session of Round Table was conducted on 21st March 2023 at 03.30 pm. The topic for the days was “Is Cancel Culture toxic?” Ms Devika Shibu and Mr Rohan Srinivas moderated the session with utmost passion and spirit. Participants presented their views on the topic followed by a heated debate where they showcased their research. Participants put forward several examples of cancel culture from current scenarios and even referred to age old incidents of cancel culture. The session witnessed the true debating skills of the students. The best speaker was Ms Sharanya Iyengar from VI sem BCOM ACCA.
KJMUN Orientation – The Debating Society conducted a two-day MUN Orientation Series on 7th February, 2023 in preparation for the upcoming Model United Nations. The sessions were efficiently handled by Mr. Prathik Jayaprakash, Junio Editor in Boring News Company, an Ex-Jayantian and former debsoc secretary, ensured that the spirit of MUN would be revived at the fifth MUN. With majority of the members being unaware of the proceedings MUN, proper planning necessitated the Orientation to take place for three days to include the participation of all.
Model United Nations
Model United Nations, conducted by the Debating Society of Kristu Jayanti College, is rightly titled ‘the ultimate battle of diplomacy’ on the 12th and 13th December, 2019. KJC MUN was brought to life as an initiative of the student heads of the club in 2017. The curtains to the third edition of KJC MUN were drawn on 12th & 13th December 2019. This year marked the first 2 day Model United Nations in college as well as a massive turnover of over 300 registrations.
The event involved participation of students across all departments in college. The participants represented eighty nations in six different committees. The committees consisted of Security Council, Office on Drugs and Crime, InterPOL, Environment Assembly, Human Rights Committee and All India Political Party Meet. Participants also played the role of members of different new networks as part of the International press. Each of the committees provided a platform for students to debate and resolve issues of international importance while adhering to a strict code and procedure of diplomatic conduct. Agendas were discussed in sessions including moderated and unmoderated caucuses which extended for the entirety of day one.
The second day saw more action as the crisis was revealed. This was tactfully done through an initial committee wise release of crisis updates which culminated in a joint crisis session where the agendas of all of the six committees were inter-linked. The hypothetical situations presented to students helped to hone their problem solving skills as well as enhances one’s ability to think on one’s feet.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Date: 17/12/2018
No. of Participants: 277
The Debating Society of Kristu Jayanti College with the Literary and Cultural Association, organized the 2nd edition of Model United Nations on 17 December, 2018.
The concept of the Model United Nations is to create an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events in world politics, international relations, foreign policy, diplomacy and the United Nations' agendas. MUN 2.0 is envisioned to be an extra-ordinary intellectual and social conference that will bring together an amazing assortment of young minds from the college to gain first-hand experience of negotiating processes by playing the role of diplomats representing different countries from across the globe.
Jayantians have been very enthusiastic to be part of MUN. Each department was invited to send students as delegates. 256 students participated as delegates in the Model United Nations.
Committees and Agenda:
Disarmament and International Security (DISEC/General Assembly) :
1- Reaching to a consensus on the establishment of International Arrest Warrants.
2- Issue of Political Corruption and Insecurity within Domestic Governments.
Reducing stockpiles of WMDs.
Social Cultural and Humanitarian Committee(SOCHUM):
1-Discussing the implications of modern slavery with special reference to Human Trafficking and girl child sex racketing.
2- LGBTQ Rights all over the world.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime:
1- Countries' blind eye to drug lords and cartels present within territory
2- 2- Narco-Terrorism - Trade and its financing
Security Council:
1- The question of Statehood and allocation of Unclaimed Territories.
2- The Sino-Indian Border Dispute
International Press: The unbiased journalists questioning, investigating and reporting the proceedings of conferences
GOT: 1- Measures taken to survive the long winter
The Delegates were given training by faculty coordinators to familiarize them about MUN proceedings. Background guides about agendas are provided to guide the delegates in research.
Total number of students: 156
First Session: Introductory session
All the students interested in public speaking and debate gathered in Mini Audi 1 on 26/06/2017 and registered as members of Debating Society. They were given an introductory session on public speaking and debating skills.
Moderated Debate Sessions
All the members were divided as teams of two members each and mock moderated debates were conducted on 29/06/2017 and 30/06/2017.
PES Parliamentary Debate
Faizan Munshi ( I B.Com ACCA), Pooja Shiva(II Bsc BT) and Ismail Hussain(II BCA ‘D’) represented the college at the National Parliamentary Debate organized by PES University, Bangalore, from 26/08/2017- 28/08/2017.
Indian Academy Debate
Samson Sabu( III BBA ‘D’), Safwan Rafiq Majgaonkar (III BBA ‘D’), Jibin Jose(III BBA ‘B’) and Yatan Upadhyaya(III BCA ‘A’) represented the college at Founder’s Day Inter-Collegiate Debate Competition hosted by Indian Academy Degree College on 29/08/2017 and 30/08/2017.
KJC-MUN- Model United Nations
The first chapter of KJC-MUN was the major activity of Debsoc for the odd semester. The members of debating society were the members of organising committee by default and MUN was open to entire student community of the college. The students who enrolled as delegates were trained through eight training sessions organised by the members of debating society under the guidance of staff coordinators. Mock MUN sessions were conducted prior to the final event.
Date- 01/09/2017
Student Delegates: 171
Total number of students who were part of MUN- 196
Audience: I Semester students from Kristu Jayanti College of Law
Student Life