Presenting the most Prestigious Debating
Arena in the World
Tournament Details
Harvard College Debating Union World Schools India Invitationals 2026
Format
World Schools Debating Championship
Location
Jayshree Periwal International School
Grades
6th to 12th Std
Dates
Aug 14th - Aug 16th
Identifying India’s best school debating teams to represent at Harvard 2027
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Three Day Offline event at Jaipur
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Debate Format: WSDC (8-mins speeches + 4-mins replies)
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5 Rounds of Debating:
2 Prepared Rounds
3 Impromptu Rounds
What Students will gain?
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Preparation for the upcoming Global WSDC Tournaments 2026-27
Train for elite events like NYU, Yale, Princeton, and more.
Master the WSDC Format -Build Life Long Skills
Develop WSDC skills, impromptu thinking, critical reasoning, and persuasion.
Get mentored by WSDC champions and top global adjudicators.
Learn from the National Champions and WUDC Coaches
Harvard College Debate Union X IDL Certificate
Earn a prestigious credential validating your debate mastery.
Access Premium resources Via HCDU
Access Harvard College Debate Union’s curated matterfiles, model speeches, and strategy guides.
Join Harvard-hosted tournament with 30+ elite global schools.
Compete at a Prestigious Global Event at Harvard College, US
Letter From Organizers
Dear Debaters, Coaches, and Enthusiasts,
Dear Debaters, Coaches, and Enthusiasts,
We are proud to welcome you to the Indian Qualifiers for the Harvard College Debating Union World Schools Debating Championship 2026, now established as one of the largest and most prestigious school debating tournaments in India.
Launched through the historic collaboration between the Indian Debating League and the Harvard College Debating Union, this initiative was created to identify and nurture India’s most promising debaters through world-class training, immersive bootcamps, and mentorship from leading international and national trainers.
Last year’s edition marked a major milestone, with 80+ teams competing in person from across the country, making it a true national major and setting a new benchmark in competitive school debating.
Building on this momentum, the 2026 edition returns with an even stronger vision. The top-performing teams will earn the honour of representing India at Harvard University in Cambridge in 2027. Participants will also be trained and prepared to compete at leading global institutions including the London School of Economics and Political Science, New York University, Yale University, and University of Oxford.
We look forward to welcoming you and witnessing the continued rise of Indian debating on the global stage.
anjali tiwary
Anjali Tiwary
Founder & CEO
Indian Debating League
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Shayna Leng & Zyna Dhillon
Shayna Leng & Zyna Dhillon
Convener
Harvard College World School Invitational
Last Year at a Quick Glance
Success Stories
The Indian Debating League stands out as one of the most intellectually rigorous and professionally run debating platforms I’ve been part of. From participating in Princeton WSDC and Offline Cambridge Schools in the UK, I found IDL to be on par in terms of quality, challenge, and depth of engagement.
Pranay Sadani - UPenn’29
Novice Finalist, Princeton WSDC 2024 | Cambridge Schools Team India
From representing India as at the Oxford Union, UK with IDL Masterfiles on every potential theme to adrenaline rush of participating and staying up late night for international debates like Harvard, Prague with Trainers being just a ring away, IDL has opened up many oppurtunities to channel my passion and engage with diverse perspectives while providing a concrete support system for me.
Anvi Kumar - London School Of Economic'28
Oxford Schools Team India' 23 | IIT Delhi High School Debate
Being a part of the Indian Debating League for multiple tournaments was very helpful. Representing Rajasthan, winning MSDL, and making it to the finals of IDL 2023 was both an honor and a challenge that pushed me to elevate my debate. The unique structure of level 1, level of competition, the diversity of students - there was a state for all states in India , and the professionalism of the platform make IDL one of the most prestigious debating arenas in the country.
Parth Jain - Yale’28
Winner, MSDL 2023 | Finalist, Indian Debating League 2023
IDL gave me the kind of confidence that stays with you outside. The feedback was honest, the drills were tough, and the support never felt forced. I learned how to hold my ground, how to listen better, and how to speak with more care.
Diya Bansal - Stanford’28
Harvard World Schools’ 22 | Doxbridge’22