22nd August, 2025 : The Indian Debating League (IDL) successfully hosted the Harvard College Debating Union—Indian Team Qualifiers 2025 at Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS) in Jaipur, marking a historic milestone in India’s 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 IDL Harvard College Debating Union Qualifiers 2025 has provided an invaluable platform for students to showcase their debating skills while learning valuable life lessons. “Our debaters didn’t just withstand pressure – they grew stronger because of it. That is the true victory IDL gives to India’s youth,” 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 the future skills across India and Asia in a phased manner. The event has further cemented India’s position on the global debate map, and with the upcoming Asia’s Largest Debating Tournament in 2026, IDL is poised to continue shaping the future of India’s youth.
The tournament saw the presence of eminent guests such as Amit Jain, Co-Founder & CEO of CarDekho, and Aman Gupta, Co-Founder & CMO of boAt, who shared their journeys of innovation and leadership. Amit Jain remarked,“Debating 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.” Aman Gupta added, “Debating is not just about winning; it’s about articulating thoughts clearly. It’s about participating, and I’m proud of how it transformed my daughter.”
Tournament Outcomes and Global Opportunities
The winners of the tournament, Zaara Chinoy, Adyant Gupta, Arnav Singh, and Aashi Bubna from The Cathedral and John Connon School, emerged as Open Category Champions and secured direct qualification to the final stage of ISDS Indian Squad Selection. They will proudly represent India at the Harvard WSDC Tournament 2026 in Massachusetts, USA.
The Open Category Runner-Up team — 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) — also earned the opportunity to represent India at Harvard in 2026. The Novice Category winners from Gyanshree School — Sohana Bhatia, Samarth Girotra, and Mohisha Grover — will similarly represent India at Harvard in 2026.
In addition, the tournament recognized Open Best Speakers, including 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). These exceptional speakers advanced to the Intermediate Round for ISDS India Squad Selection, underscoring the depth of talent across schools.
The quarter-finalist teams also made their mark by earning the honor of representing India at the Shanghai WSDC Open 2025. This includes Jia Laud, Sanaa Seksaria, Alekha Kilachand, Sanjana Bhasin, Siddhant Sanghvi, Rohan Udani, Rhea Hiremath, and Aditya Merchant (The Cathedral and John Connon School), as well as Shreyan Aniruddh Padhi, Aishanya Sarvani, and Snigdha Singh (Sunbeam English School, Bhagwanpur). Their achievements highlight India’s expanding global debating footprint and readiness for international competition.
Human Stories that Defined the Tournament
Beyond the competition, the tournament highlighted powerful human stories. Parents expressed pride in their children’s growth through loss. One parent shared, “For the first time, my child lost—and I couldn’t be prouder. This was not failure; it was growth.” Teams leaving the quarterfinals heartbroken were already planning their next “revenge” tournament, demonstrating the true spirit of resilience. A masterclass by Atul R H, ISDS Team India Manager, guided students with strategies that led to India’s historic win at WSDC 2025 in Panama
