Loyola School hosted the Selection Stage of the Frank Anthony Memorial All-India Inter-School Debate Competition 2026 for Category I (Std. 11 and 12), bringing together young speakers to engage in an intellectually stimulating exchange of ideas.

The event celebrated the art of debate as a platform for critical thinking, articulate expression and reasoned argument. The proceedings commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the Rector, Principal, Vice Principal, judges and moderator.

Principal Fr. Vinod Fernandes delivered the welcome address and extended greetings to the participating schools, judges and distinguished guests.

The event was moderated by Dr. Sujata Mitra, Vice Chairperson of the Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital, Jamshedpur. The panel of distinguished judges comprised Mrs. Shamita Ahuja, Dr. Rahul Kumar Shukla and Mr. Shankar Ramalingam. Their presence and expertise added considerable value to the competition as they evaluated the participants on their reasoning, content, articulation and ability to present convincing arguments.

As a gesture of appreciation, the moderator and judges were welcomed with saplings, and felicitated with shawls and mementos. The gesture reflected the school’s commitment to celebrating not only intellectual excellence but also values of sustainability and responsible citizenship.

The topic of the debate was “Carbon emission taxes should be made mandatory worldwide.”

The event provided a vibrant platform for students to demonstrate their ability to think critically, engage respectfully with opposing viewpoints and champion ideas through the power of reasoned discourse. After a terrific session of arguments and counter arguments, and compelling insights by the judges, the awards were given away by the Rector, Fr. Michael T. Raj, Principal, Fr. Vinod Fernandes and the Vice Principal, Mrs. Jayanthi Sheshadri.

The award for the Best Speaker went to Pragya Singh of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jamshedpur. The award for the Runner up Speaker went to Minza Iqbal of St. Xavier’s School, Ranchi.

Pragya Singh and Pragya Datta of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jamshedpur were declared the Best Team and Minza Iqbal and Om Varenyam of St. Xavier’s School, Ranchi were adjudged the Runner up Team. Both these teams will move to the Regional round.