Debate Society
Home Debate Society 2019 – 2020
Associate Director: Assistant Professor Bhakti Naik
Introduction
The Debate Society of V. M. Salgaocar College of Law was initiated with the aim of encouraging a robust climate of debating and well-researched dialogue over important issues prevailing in society. Society expects Law students to be bold enough to participate in debates and be well-informed enough to air their views on ongoing issues at local and national levels. This also helps in harnessing their soft skills of public speaking and helps the students to learn the art of reflective thinking: to come up with new ideas and counterpoints rather than relying on memory as the only power of the mind. The Society also conducts formal and informal Inter-Class Group Discussions which aid the students to frame unbiased views on issues of public interest.
The active members of the Debate Society have participated in State-level and National-level Debate competitions and won accolades for the college:
- Three teams from the Debate Society reached the Finals of the MIT-School of Government “Your Swabhimaan Review” National Debate Competition on the issue of “Reservation”: Rajlaxmi Bhatkar & Meera Bhandankar, Esha Ghodekar & Gautami Kamat, and Siddhant Shetye & Aashna Pathak, respectively. The team consisting of Siddhant Shetye & Aashna Pathak was awarded one of the best 3 teams in the Zonal rounds at Pune. Gautami Kamat won a prize for exemplary writing skills at the Goa Round. Aashna Pathak won a prize for best oratory skills, while Gautami Kamat and Rajlaxmi Bhatkar won prizes for oratory skills at the Pune Zonal Rounds, and Gautami Kamat and Rajlaxmi Bhatkar won prizes for the Best Reviews. Unfortunately, the organizers never conducted the Finals of the National Debate Competition.
- For the PLEXUS 2019 (G.M.C.) Debate Competition on the topic “Theism and Atheism,” Esha Ghodekar & Joshua Dias from the Debate Society qualified for the Final Round.
- For the Debate Competition on “Beauty Pageants For Women are Actually Empowering & Not Sexist” held at the Barazi Festival, the State Level Inter-Collegiate Event held at V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, Raia-Goa, Aashna Pathak and Sherwyn Correia from the Debate Society won the 2nd Prize.
- For the State-Level Daring Debates-Goa Edition, organized by V.M. Salgaocar College of Law on the topic “Yes to Development: Death Knells to Habitats?” Vasudev Salkar from the Debate Society narrowly lost to Yash Raj during a nail-biting tie-breaker to decide the winner Against the Motion.
A. Debate Society: Notice and Registration
Notice was issued on 22nd July 2019 seeking registration from interested students. The registration was open for all the classes on a first-cum-first-serve basis. A total of 28 students registered. The limit of 25 was extended to include 3 more students in the society.
LIST OF REGISTERED STUDENTS
| Sr.No. | Name of Student | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bibi Rabiya Basri | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 2 | Esha Ghodekar | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 3 | Dimple Purohit | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 4 | Joshua Dias | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 5 | Diya Kama | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 6 | Meera Bhandankar | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 7 | Eshaan Patil | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 8 | Erica D’Costa | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 9 | Hasi Kakas | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 10 | Cleta Lorenco | Fourth Year B.A.LL.B. |
| 11 | Aashna Pathak | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 12 | Siddhant Shetye | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 13 | Vasudev Salkar | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 14 | Raj Chodankar | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 15 | Rajlaxmi Bhatkar | Fifth Year B.A.LL.B. |
| 16 | Saee Bhate | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 17 | Shadab Jahan | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 18 | Komal Naik | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 19 | Samuel Abraham | T.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 20 | Rahul Rao | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 21 | Kartik Panchal | T.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 22 | Sherwyn Corriea | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 23 | Prasenjeet Dhage | Fourth Year B.A.LL.B. |
| 24 | Sanjana Kakodkar | Fourth Year B.A.LL.B. |
| 25 | Gautami Kamat | F.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 26 | Yash Y.Naik | S.Y.B.A.LL.B. |
| 27 | Mahableshwar Toraskar | F.Y.LL.B. (Degree) |
| 28 | Sidharth Singh | F.Y.LL.B. (Degree) |
B. Debate Society: Orientation Session
A meeting with the members of the Debate Society was conducted on 14th August 2019 from 2.00-4.00 pm in Hall no 10 to discuss the action plan for the year. It was decided that the Debate Society would:
Meet twice a month to debate and practice debating skills on Wednesdays between 2-4 pm.
Have inputs about Techniques of persuasion, debating tips etc
Understand the different types of debate competitions and adopt a suitable model for practice
Assistant Professor Dr. Layla Mascarenhas and Assistant Professor Bhakti Naik conducted an orientation on “Training for Successful Debates” which included 6 Essential Tools Required for Successful Debates, The Rudiments of Rhetoric, and The Art of Persuasion. The students were told how ‘Arguments’ are the building blocks of a debate. Every complete argument consists of three components: Claim, Warrant, and Proof. It was decided to conduct a Policy Debate on the topic ‘Is Tourism in Goa a Threat to the Environment?’ for the Society members on 29th August, using the following Debate Format:
16 speeches: The first 8 speeches: Constructive Speeches (the teams are perceived as laying out their most important arguments during these speeches.) The last 8 speeches:
Rebuttals (the teams are expected to extend and apply arguments that have already been made, rather than make new arguments.)
| Speech | 1AC | 1NC | 2AC | 2NC | 3AC | 3NC | 4AC | 4NC | 1NR | 1AR | 2NR | 2AR | 3NR | 3AR |
| Time | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 3min. | 1.5 min. | 1.5 min. | 1.5 min. | 1.5 min. | 1.5 min. | 1.5 min. |
(A stands for Affirmative, N for Negative, C for Constructive, R for Rebuttal.)
C. Debate Society’s 1st Debate ( 29 August 2019 )
On 29th August, 2019, VMSCL’s Debate Society conducted an energetic debate between the members of the society on the topic ‘Is Tourism in Goa a Threat to the Environment?’ The two teams (A&B) were lead by Sherwyn Correia and Siddhant Shetye. The activity was mentored by Assistant Professor Dr. Layla Mascarenhas and Assistant Professor Bhakti Naik. This was the 1st debate in a series of planned debates where the students prepare their arguments in advance and are judged on their levels of research, presentation, rebuttal, and use of logic. Team A won the debate.
Debate Scoring Sheet
Debate Topic:____________________________________
Date: _______________Pro or Con (circle one)
Team Member Names:
(1) _______________________________
(2) _______________________________
(3) _______________________________
(4) _______________________________
| Levels of Performance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1. Organization and Clarity: viewpoints and responses are outlined both clearly and orderly. | Unclear in most parts | Clear in some parts but not over all | Mostly clear and orderly in all parts | Completely clear and orderly presentation |
| 2. Use of Arguments: reasons are given to support viewpoint. | Few or no relevant reasons given | Some relevant reasons given | Many reasons given: fairly relevant | Most relevant reasons given in support |
| 3. Use of Examples and Facts: examples and facts are given to support reasons, with references | Few or no relevant supporting examples/facts | Some relevant examples/facts given | Many examples/facts given: fairly relevant | Most relevant supporting examples and facts given |
| 4. Use of Rebuttal: arguments made by the other teams are responded to and dealt with effectively. | No effective counterarguments made | Few effective counterarguments made | Some effective counter-arguments made | Many effective counterarguments made |
| 5. Presentation Style: tone of voice, use of gestures, and level of enthusiasm are convincing to audience. | Few style features were used; not convincingly | Few style features were used but they were used convincingly | All style features were used, most convincingly | All style features were used convincingly |
Total: ______
Score = Total x 5 = ________
9.1 Major Activity 1
Report On Vmscl Elocution Competition Organised For Vigilance Awareness Week 2019 (25th September 2019)
V. M. Salgaocar College of Law (VMSCL), Miramar, Goa, in association with the Vigilance Department of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), Vasco da Gama, organized an Elocution Competition, on 25th September 2019, on the theme “Integrity – A Way of Life,” for the Vigilance Awareness Week 2019. Dr. M. R. K. Prasad, the Principal of VMSCL, Miramar, Goa welcomed the gathering. Mr. Vijaya Dat Kagita (IOFS), the Chief Vigilance Officer of Mormugao Port Trust, Vasco in his address highlighted the relevance of observance of Vigilance Awareness Week. He stated that the objective of Vigilance Awareness Week was to encourage all stakeholders, including students, to collectively participate in the prevention of, and the fight against corruption. The Integrity Pledge for Citizens was administered to the students and faculty members present by the Chief Vigilance Officer of MPT, Vasco da Gama.
The three topics of the Elocution Competition were “Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do,” “The Importance of Integrity in Governance,” and “The Role of Integrity in the Life of a Law Professional.” The Elocution competition was multilingual and students spoke in English, Hindi, and Konkani. 16 VMSCL students from the 5 Years (B.A.LL.B.) and 3 Years (LL.B. Degree) Law programs participated in the competition. Students delivered excellent speeches focusing on the role of integrity in the personal and professional spheres of life. The judges for the competition were Associate Professor Augusto Pinto from S.S. Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Cujira, Bambolim, and Mr. Robin D’Souza, CEO of CCR TV, Panaji. Mr. Tico Rodrigues and Mr. G.M. Gadkar, Vigilance Officials from MPT, Vasco da Gama, were also present at the occasion.
The First Prize of Rs 3000/- per winner was bagged by Mr. Jonathan Correia (2nd Year B.A.LL.B) and Miss Vasantha Kotagiti (5th Year B.A.LL.B), the Second Prize of Rs 2000/- was won by Miss Aishwarya Sinari (4th Year B.A.LL.B) and the Third Prize of Rs 1000/- was secured by Mr. Omkar Thakur (5th Year B.A.LL.B)
The event was compèred by Assistant Professor Dr. Layla Mascarenhas of VMSCL, and the competition concluded with a vote of thanks by Assistant Professor Bhakti Naik of VMSCL. The event was sponsored by MPT and co-ordinated by the aforementioned faculty members of VMSCL, Miramar.
9.2 Major Activity 2
Daring Debates-Goa Edition (14 Dec 2019)
Daring Debates-Goa Edition was organized by V.M. Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar, in partnership with Difficult Dialogues on 14th December 2019 on the topic Yes to Development: Death Knells to Habitats? The debate was on how to address the dichotomy of development of civilization and the development of habitat. 10 colleges of Goa participated in a keenly contested event:
2. Dnyanprassarak Mandal’s College and Research Center (DMC College), Assagao
3. Govind Ramnath Kare College of Law, Margao
4. Govt.College of Arts,Science And Commerce, Quepem
5. Dhempe College of Arts & Science, Panaji
6. Dr. Dada Vaidya College of Education, Ponda
7. V.M.Salgaocar College of Law, Panaji
8. V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, Raia
9. Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts & Science, Margao
10. S. S. Dempo College of Commerce & Economics, Cujira, St. Cruz
9.3 Major Activity 3
CAA Debate
Intra-College Debate held on 6th Feb 2020 from 10:30 to 11:15 am
When the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed by Parliament on December 12, 2019, India witnessed widespread rumblings. The students of the Debate Society of V.M.Salgaocar College of Law sought to discuss the constitutional dimensions of the issue. The debate was left open to all the college students in order to clarify the arguments on both sides regarding the constitutionality of the Act. After initial hesitation, three persons volunteered to speak on the side of FOR the CAA. Meanwhile, the team AGAINST the CAA had already assembled. The Organizer and Moderator of the debate, Ms. Rajlaxmi Bhatkar decided to go ahead with the debate, albeit with an imbalanced team.
Members of the team For CAA were Siddhant Shetye, Rahul Rao and Vaibhav Salgaocar, and members of the team Against CAA were Prasanjeet Dhage , Sherwyn Correia, Joshua Dias, Shadab Shaik, Jonathan Correia, and Sheldon Sequeira (from L to R).
The debate generated widespread interest among the student community who assembled in the Conference Hall to hear the students debate the issue. In order to prevent any unruly behavior during the debate, a discipline group, Ms.Esha Ghodekar, Ms.Diya Kamat, and Ms.Erica D’Costa kept watching. Ms.Gautami Kamat and Mr.Raj Chodankar served as rules governors, while Ms.Komal Naik was the time-keeper. Ms. Bibi Rabiya Basri made sure the notice for the event was publicized amongst the college students.
The topic was properly examined by both sides and audience questions and interaction were encouraged. The discussion was halted because of time constraints and students went back to their respective classes. The debate took place during an extended recess as it was originally supposed to be an informal Canteen debate, however, given the seriousness of the issue, the Conference Hall was made available for the students to hold the discussion. Several faculty members came to watch the students’ event.
D. Student Participation in National-Level Competitions
MIT-SOG Your Swabhimaan Review National Debate Competition on Reservation
MIT-School of Government organized an Inter-Collegiate National level Debate competition on the topic of “Reservation” in a first-of-its-kind series “Your Swabhimaan Review”. Participation was invited from 11th grade to PG in the student category, as well as teaching / nonteaching staff, professionals, etc. in an Open category. In teams of two, participants first went through a writing & analytical skills round. They were judged on their review of an award-winning introductory film with a reservation backdrop; selected participants went on to a round of debate at the District level, and then to the Zonal level. The National Finals of the Debate was never held, probably due to the world pandemic.
1. District Round Of The National Debate On Reservation
Organised By The Mit School Of Government Apsara Media Entertainment Network
The District Round of the National Debate on Reservation organized by the MIT School of Government, Pune, and Apsara Media Entertainment Network was held on 23rd, 2019 at G.R. Kare College of Law, Margao, Goa. Students from various Colleges and Higher Secondaries in Goa took part in the same. Six teams from Goa qualified for the zonal rounds in Pune. All three teams from V. M. Salgaocar College of Law qualified at the District Round of the National Social Debates Forum Reservations 2019 – Your Swabhimaan debate held at G. R. Kare College of Law. Aashna Pathak won an individual award for best orator. Later, all the V.M. Salgaocar College students went on to qualify at the Zonal rounds held in Pune on 13th December 2019.
2. National Debate Competation on Reservation, Round 2 (Zonals), Pune – 13 December 2019
Winning Finalists from V.M. Salgaocar College of Law:-
1) Rajlaxmi Bhatkar & Meera Bhandankar
2) Esha Ghodekar & Gautami Kamat
3) Siddhant Shetye & Aashna Pathak
Internet Presence:
National Social Debates Forum Reservations 2019 – Your Swabhimaan Review – Goa Highlights
Glimpses of Goa Round of MIT-SOG Your Swabhimaan Review (NSDF – Reservations 2019) that happened on the 23rd September. Hosted by Partner Institute G R Kare College of Law, participation happened from all over Goa, from colleges and well as Higher Secondary Schools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbNe05e5Kzc&feature=youtu.be
National Social Debates Forum Reservations 2019 Pune Round YouTube links:
2. Rajlaxmi from V M Salgaocar College of Law, Goa during NSDF – Reservations 2019 states that she is not sure if Dr. Ambedkar ever proposed or promoted Reservation in education and jobs during the Phase 1 Finale at Pune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4YuEzNzmRE&feature=youtu.be&list=PLR0B21h F1SEFXXeteuopE4tSeg8iBgTTa&t=1
National Social Debates Forum Twitter links of V. M. Salgaocar Student Participation:
1. Bhandankar Meera and Gautami Kamat during NSDF Reservation Debate 2019
https://twitter.com/Myapsaramedia/status/1215940270006554624?s=08
https://twitter.com/Myapsaramedia/status/1219154247964430336?s=09
@BhandankarMeera with @rajlaxmibhatkar states why #Reservation started. To participate in #NSDF #debate register on https://t.co/5uK0al85r8 pic.twitter.com/iz2ZizbU4k
— National Social Debates Forum (@Myapsaramedia) January 20, 2020
6. Siddhant says essence of business is competitiveness:
https://twitter.com/Myapsaramedia/status/1219166501174796288?s=09
E. Student Participation in State-Level Competitions
1. PLEXUS 2019 (G.M.C.)
- Debate competition on the topic: Theism and Atheism
- Qualifiers for the Final Round from V.M. Salgaocar College of Law: Esha Ghodekar & Joshua Dias
2. The Orator 2019 (Dhempe College of Arts & Science)
Rajlaxmi Bhatkar was selected from among 3 V.M. Salgaocar College of Law contestants, and represented the college at the State-level elocution and oratorical event held at Dhempe College of Arts and Science on 28th September, 2019 on the topic “Marching Ahead: Shaping National Priorities towards creating a Positive Future.”
