7th NLS Debate Final Round Result and Motions

(posted by Jason Jarvis on the AllAsianDebate Yahoogroups)

Greetings from Bangalore!

I am pleased to report that the 7th National Law School Debate has been a rousing success! The NLS Debates are the largest annual tournament in South Asia. Teams from India, Bangaldesh and Sri Lanka converged on the outskirts of Bangalore at the National Law School of India University campus.

The Final Round was between Ramjas University 2 (Gov) vs. Hansraj University 2. On an 8-1 decision, Ramjas University won the competition and repeated as champion.

It is customary at Indian tournaments for judges to give a full oral adjudication at the conclusion of elimination debates (with the exception of the final). This aspect of the tournament is one which worked quite successfully. It guaranteed that the debaters and observers had the opportunity to learn from the adjudicators. It also gave dissenting judges a chance to express the rationale for their decision that provided a more complete perspective on the debate. I think that this is something that international competitions ought to do more regularly.

There has been a lot of discussion of the future of South Asian debating. The National University of Juridical Sciences in Delhi has plans to host a tournament in January and there has also been talk of formally establishing a South Asian Championship. Hopefully, the continued efforts of debaters in South Asia will lead to these events. Debate in this region of the world is vibrant and the students are very impressive!

Motions for the NLS Debates:

Round One: The United Nations
- THW reorganize the United Nations into an American style, bicameral legislature.
- THS full membership status for Kosovo in the United Nations.
- THBT the United Nations should send a multinational peacekeeping force to Sri Lanka.

Round Two: Fashion and Style
- THBT modeling agencies should be required to provide medical benefits to their employees that cover the cost of treatment for eating disorders.
- THW not allow children to work in the modeling industry.
- THBT government should prohibit national beauty pageants from utilizing minimum height requirements.

Round Three: Elections
- THS a McCain/Palin victory in the US election.
- THW require candidates for national leadership to participate in at least 3 televised debates prior to election day.
- THBT that judges for the highest national court should be popularly elected.

Round Four: Sports
- THW allow the use of performance enhancing drugs in international sporting competitions.
- THBT all future Olympic Games should provide prize money for medalists.
- THW ensure that all transgendered athletes are able to participate in the Olympics as members of their new gender.

Round Five: Law and Economics
- TH rejects the right to strike.
- THBT government should not bailout failing banks.
- THBT that employers have no right to restrict employee conduct outside of working hours.

Round Six: Food
- THBT McDonald' s should sell beef in India.
- THW censor fast food advertising to children.
- THW provide tax breaks to all citizens who follow a balanced, low fat diet.

Elimination Rounds

Octofinals: Non Human Nature
- THBT violent action to protect the environment is justified.
- THBT forest conservation policies must respect the rights of indigenous inhabitants.
- THS economic sanctions against any nation that does not act to reduce their carbon emissions.

Quarterfinals: Religion and Politics
- THBT the state should not provide any special benefits to its citizens on the basis of religion.
- THBT political leaders should be prevented from publicly attributing their achievements to God.
- TH prefers theocracy to communism.

Semifinals: Issues in Sexuality
- THBT universities should offer an elective course on effective sexual techniques.
- THS the legalization of homosexuality.
- THW utilize government resources to provide free sterilization procedures to the general public.

Finals: Philosophical Principles
- THBT utilitarianism should not be used to justify human rights violations.*
**(This was the final round motion)
- THBT, in the future, human clones should not be granted rights equal to humans.
- THBT laws punishing crimes against humanity should be applied retro-actively.

Jason Jarvis
Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management

Asian Debate Institute 2008
http://asiandebateinstitute.com