Five Indian school debating teams have secured places at the Harvard College Debating Union World Schools tournament to be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April 2027, following the second edition of the Harvard College Debating Union World Schools – India Invitationals 2026.
The tournament, organised by the Indian Debating League (IDL) in partnership with the Harvard College Debating Union, was held from August 14 to 16 at Jayshree Periwal International School in Jaipur. It brought together around 250 students from 54 schools across India and was conducted in the World Schools Debating Championship format.
Four teams from the Open category and one from the Novice category were selected to represent India at the international tournament. The teams are from Cathedral and John Connon School, Jayshree Periwal International School, The Shri Ram School Moulsari, Vasant Valley School and Mallya Aditi International School.
The Harvard tournament in April 2027 is expected to feature teams from around 30 countries. The selected teams will compete internationally following their qualification at the Jaipur event.
The tournament also featured interactions with Mohit Yadav, co-founder of Minimalist, and Zyna Dhillon, convener of the Harvard College Debating Union. Discussions focused on debating, communication and decision-making.
The event concluded with the launch of IDL 6.0, the next edition of the Indian Debating League. This year's theme, “The Many Lives of India”, will focus on the country's histories, identities, memories and changing aspirations. Registrations for the competition are currently open.