Students shine at interschool English debate competition

Patna: Kavya Vats from St Joseph’s Convent High School emerged as the Best Speaker, while Achintya Sinha from International School (ICSE) was awarded Most Promising Speaker at the Tabish-ul Hasan Memorial Inter-School English Debate Competition 2026, hosted by International School on Thursday. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 16 leading schools across Patna. Students passionately debated the timely motion: “Expansion of artificial intelligence across all fields is a threat to human creativity and originality.”Don Bosco Academy secured the Winning Team title. Other winners included 1st runners-up Tahreem Fatima (Bishop Scott Senior Sec. Girl’s School) and Andri Diwakar (International School), 2nd runner-up Sadaf Aafreen (Don Bosco Academy), and Upcoming Speakers Naitik Sinha (Don Bosco Academy) and Vriti Singh (The Tribhuvan School). Principal Nahid Alam and director Farhat Hasan praised the students’ critical thinking and eloquent expression.St Dominic Savio’s High School: St Dominic Savio’s High School observed Earth Day with great zeal and a deep sense of environmental responsibility through a special assembly and engaging class-wise activities. The programme commenced with an inspiring speech by a Class XII student, who stressed the urgent need to protect the planet and adopt sustainable practices in daily life. This was followed by a Nukkad Natak performed by Class X students, which highlighted the alarming consequences of environmental neglect and motivated students to take immediate action.Eco Club members from Classes VII, VIII and IX displayed creative posters on themes like conservation, pollution control and sustainable living, reinforcing the message “Save Earth.” An oath was administered by teacher Indrani Ghosh. Class-wise activities added a hands-on dimension: Classes VII and VIII created eco-friendly accessories and decorative items from waste materials under the Best Out of Waste theme. Classes IX and X students made bracelets and used plastic bottles to beautify the school garden. Seniors from Classes XI and XII prepared herbarium files of Bihar’s medicinal plants, crafted doormats from polythene bags and contributed to developing an “Oxygen Zone” in the school. Every class also prepared collages listing at least 10 practical steps to save the Earth.St Karen’s High School: St Karen’s High School celebrated Earth Day with great enthusiasm under the theme “Our Power, Our Planet.” The programme began with a welcome address and introduction to the theme, highlighting collective responsibility for environmental conservation. Students expressed their concern through a heartfelt poetry recitation. Principal Seema Singh urged students to adopt eco-friendly habits and become responsible global citizens.A documentary on Earth Day educated the audience on pressing environmental issues, followed by an engaging interactive quiz. A powerful “Laghu Natika” (short play) delivered a strong message on environmental protection. The event concluded with a prize distribution ceremony.AI conclave: B D College, in collaboration with MasterSoft, organised the Higher Education AI Conclave, bringing together policymakers, academic leaders and technology experts to deliberate on NEP 2020 and the future of higher education in Bihar. The conclave highlighted artificial intelligence as a key enabler for assessment, teaching-learning, governance and institutional transformation.Principal Ratna Amrit stressed the need for NEP-aligned reforms, innovation and inclusive digital transformation. The governor-cum-chancellor, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), graced the event with his keynote address, offering a strategic perspective on education, technology and institutional reform. Other eminent speakers included Rajiv Roshan, secretary, higher education; Prof Girish Kumar Chaudhary, chairman, BSHEC, and Upendra Prasad Singh, vice chancellor, Patliputra University.A panel discussion and technical sessions by experts from IIT Madras and NITI Aayog explored accreditation reforms, digital infrastructure and AI-driven solutions.