15th Annual British Parliamentary Debate at PCTE Group of Institutes in collaboration with LMA

Ludhiana, February 14, 2025: The legendary British Parliamentary (BP) Debate, now in its 16th year, is back at PCTE Group of Institutes like every year. It was initiated for the first time in India some 17 years back by PCTE Group of Institutes

What began as a small idea inspired by the movie The Great Debaters has grown into India’s oldest, the very first and most renowned BP debate competition in the country. A faculty member, Harpreet Kaur Kang, and three passionate students – Arjun Sethi, Yatin Garg, and Japneet Singh – started by researching the rules of British Parliamentary Debate, and hosted their first competition at PCTE back then. The event was such a success that it quickly evolved into a national-level competition, drawing teams from across India and beyond.

Two years later, Kang and her team took the initiative to pitched the idea to the Ludhiana Management Association (LMA), which agreed to co-host the event. From there on, it was named the Dr. D R Memorial British Parliamentary Debate in honor of the late and founding president of LMA.

This competition has since grown into a fierce and highly competitive event, lasting for over two days and a night, where teams from across India and even Pakistan engage in rigorous debates. This year, 46 teams from renowned institutions including St. Stephen College, IIM Amritsar, IIM Rohtak, Ramjas College, OP Jindal Global University, Mlsu Law Department, NIILM University, DIT University, etc are competing in the two-day event.

Kang, who now also serves as the first woman president of LMA, shared, “Each year, the debates become more engaging and compelling, as more institutions familiarize themselves with the British Parliamentary debating format. It is a knock-out competition, and the pressure on students is immense as they debate non-stop around the clock, constantly striving to perform their best.”

Lokesh Jain, General Secretary of LMA, emphasized the importance of being well-read and eloquent in such a competition, stating, “If a student is well-read and can effectively communicate their knowledge, it is highly unlikely they will lose here.”

Dr. Naresh Sachdev, Chair of the Student’s Forum of LMA, noted the dedication of students who traveled from distant places to participate, eager to gain exposure, learn, and grow through a series of six back-to-back debates—provided they reach the finals. He explained that a team of 35 faculty members from different departments of PCTE are adjudicating
While the debates will continue well past midnight, the final and semi-final rounds will take place tomorrow morning, with the prestigious award and a cash prizes of Rs. 1.5 Lakhs awaiting the winning teams. The event continues to highlight the intellectual rigor and skill of the country’s finest debaters, and anticipation is building for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the 16th edition of the event.