MMPS Golden Jubilee Conclave Celebrates Debate and Critical Thinking

The MMPS Golden Jubilee Debates and Critical Thinking Conclave, held on October 4 and 5, 2024, at Maharana Mewar Public School in Udaipur, emerged as a symbol of scholarship, eloquence, and the art of dialogue. This prestigious event saw participation from 16 teams representing 10 esteemed schools across seven states in India, including various educational boards such as CBSE, IB, IG, and ICSE-ISC.

The intellectual journey commenced with a lamp-lighting ceremony led by Mr. Sanjay Dutta, CEO of MMPS and MMVM, Mr. Mayank Trivedi, Principal of MMPS, and the program curator, educator, and playwright Mr. Parnab Mukherjee. They were joined by judges Mr. Sahaj Bhatia and Mr. Devanshu Sengupta, whose discerning decisions guided the event.

The first day featured a diverse array of challenging competitions, ranging from turncoat debates and extemporaneous writing to installations and the much-anticipated Shakespearean duel "Bard’s Banter." The day concluded at Hotel Shikarbadi, where Mr. Pramod Sharma, Chairman of the IPSC Trust and a veteran in the education sector, presented awards to outstanding participants.

**Bard's Banter - Shakespearean Duologue:**

- **Best National Team:** Sunbeam School, Varanasi (Saraswati Keshari and Sakshi Mehta)
- **National First Runner-Up:** Paljor Girls School, Gangtok, Sikkim (Anisha Manger and Vanshika Chhetri)
- **National Second Runner-Up:** Modern School, Barakhamba Road, Delhi (Anna Sinha and Nargis Malhotra)
- **Critics' Choice Award:** Delhi Public School, Sector 45, Gurugram (Ojasya Chugh and Ayushman Chaudhary)
- **Best Performance Award:** Agrata Joshi (The Rajkumar College, Rajkot), Naomi Menaria (St. Anthony's, Udaipur), Navya Sharma (Neerja Modi, Udaipur)

**The Tipping Point - Creative Writing and Visual Art Installation:**

- **Best National Team:** Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer (Sehaz Sanghera and Amayra Arora)
- **National First Runner-Up:** Singapore International School, Mumbai (Riya Sawant and Ivana Bandopadhyay)
- **National Second Runner-Up:** Punjab Public School, Nabha (Anya Bath and Manteshwar Singh Ranu)
- **Critics' Choice Award:** La Martiniere College, Lucknow (Daryl James Rogers and Aaron Stephen D'Costa)
- **Best Written Text:** The Indian School, Delhi (Aashmin Malhotra and Deepanshi Moitra)

On the second day, participants engaged in multi-format debates, culminating in a grand closing ceremony at the historic Khush Mahal. This ceremony was chaired by Dr. Lakshraj Singh Ji Mewar, Trustee of the Vidya Daan Trust, who inspired all participants to strive for higher intellectual goals through his motivational address.

**Plurilogs (Multi-Format Debates):**

- **Overall Championship and Best National Team:** Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi (Zara Javed, Siya Gupta, Ahana Sinha, and Nargis Malhotra), with Zara Javed being declared the best speaker in the Block and Tackle debate round.
- **National First Runner-Up:** Sunbeam School, Varanasi (Samriddhi Agarwal, Ayaan Mehta, Sakshi Mehta, and Saraswati Keshari)
- **Joint Third Place:** Punjab Public School, Nabha (Aakash Veer Singh Sandhu, Kudrat Kaur Rai, and Anya Bath), Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer (Aarna Jaiswal, Anika Singh, and Amayra Arora), and Maharana Mewar Public School (Audad Ahmed, Salma Afreen Hussain, and Diya Soni)

**Special Recognitions:**

- **Best Research Team:** Seedling Modern Public School, Udaipur (Shoaib Bivravala, Aanchal Bedi, and Anurag Singh Rao)
- **Best Speech Coordination and Teamwork:** The Rajkumar College, Rajkot (Saumya Panjwani, Agrata Joshi, and Zeel Selarka)
- **Best Speaker, Turncoat Debate (Preliminary Round):** Anika Singh (Mayo College Girls, Ajmer), Asmita Sharma (Paljor Namgyal Girls School, Sikkim), Advika Singh (Heritage Girls School, Udaipur)
- **Best Speaker, Extemporaneous (Preliminary Round):** Saumya Panjwani (The Rajkumar College, Rajkot), Monal Bhatia (St. Anthony's, Udaipur), Aashmin Malhotra (The Indian School, Delhi)

The conclave concluded with a panel discussion led by Mr. Parnab Mukherjee. The main topic was "Skills for Children in Tomorrow's World." Contributions from Mr. Pramod Sharma and Dr. Lakshraj Singh Ji Mewar highlighted the importance of fostering critical thinking, social awareness, and creativity in children.

This conclave was not just a competition but a celebration of intellectual curiosity and dialogue. The MMPS Golden Jubilee Debates and Critical Thinking Conclave will continue to inspire future generations in the realms of scholarship, thought, and oratory.