Speak for India calls out to young debaters in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Do you feel strongly about some of society’s most pertinent issues? Do you have an opinion to voice out? Federal Bank in association with The Times of India is set to unveil the first edition of the Speak for India forum in Tamil Nadu which will identify some of the state’s best intercollegiate debaters and offer them a platform.


Aimed at encouraging young and enthusiastic minds to become change-makers, Speak for India gives college students the opportunity to explore their awareness, insight and perspective on contemporary topics. It also gives participants the choice between English or Tamil as their preferred medium for debating.

“The structure of the debate is such that you don’t just take one side or the other, but are required to think critically from both ends. It pushes you to adopt the right perspective of a subject and articulate it. And that is what is great about this platform,” says Utkarsh Rathi, winner of 2016 Maharashtra edition.

Evaluation will be done through a series of district, zonal, semifinal and final rounds. The initial screening will be done at the district centres and the schedule of the competition will be uploaded on the website.

Debaters at the zonal level will be judged by social media influencer Rajmohan Arumugam, at the end of which, eight best participants from across the state will compete in the finals, to be held on February 27 in Chennai.

The winner will get a cash prize 1.5 lakh and 50,000 as scholarship for higher studies, while the represented college will receive a cash prize of 25,000.

The runner-up will get a cash prize of 1 lakh and their represented college will win 25,000. Each finalist stands to win a cash prize of 25,000. Participation certificates will be given to those taking part at the entry level.

The Tamil Nadu edition of Speak for India will be launched at DG Vaishnav College on December 3 at 10.30am, presided over by C Sylendra Babu, IPS.

This will be followed by the Chennai district level competition. Students can register online on www.speakforindia.com or by scanning the QR code given.