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Team India Selections 2025-26
Competitions the Indian National Debating Squad attends
The World Schools Debating Championships: The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) is the largest, and most prestigious global competition for high school debaters with students in more than 75 countries competing representing their nations. The Championships take place each year in a different country, hosted by a national debating body. WSDC 2026 is set to be hosted in person in Kenya, East Africa.
The International Competition for Young Debaters: The International Competition for Young Debaters (ICYD) is the largest and most prestigious competition for 15 and under debaters in the world. It is conducted every year alternatingly by the Cambridge and Oxford Unions in the UK.
Select Regional Championships: Multiple other prestigious international competitions – the Asia World Schools Debating Championships, Doxbridge WSDC, Oldham Cup, ARGO Open, Oxford World Schools Debating Championships – are hosted by debating institutions in their respective regions/countries.
ISDS has had incredible competitive success. Most recently, we won the World Schools Debating Championship 2025 and ICYD 2025, were Quarterfinalists at the World Championships in 2023 and GrandFinalists at the Asia Championships in 2023. We were finalists at the Oldham Cup 2025. We were also Grand Finalists at the World Championships in 2018, and subsequently won the World Championships in 2019. We have also won the Asia Championships (2016), and the International Competition for Young Debaters (2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023).
Selections Overview
Why should you register?
| • | To represent India on an International platform and win laurels for the Nation |
| • | To develop and demonstrate leadership and critical thinking skills that are necessary in an increasingly competitive world |
| • | To receive intensive training and feedback from the best trainers in India and across the world |
| • | To network with participants across the country & the world |
| • | To have the opportunity to represent your country in Kenya in July 2026, where the World Championships will be hosted! |
Who is eligible?
| • | You should still be in school during July-Aug 2026 – 12th graders in 2025-26 are ineligible |
| • | You should be between the ages of 12-18 |
| • | You should be studying in a school in India |
| Note: Regardless of the competition you enter, or the criteria of partner selection competitions, these eligibility criteria apply. |
What do we expect from you?
| • | A commitment to put the National Team above all other extra curricular activities in 2025-26 |
| • | A willingness to work hard, and learn more about the world |
| • | A love for debate and a healthy competitive spirit |
Selections Process
The Selections for the Indian National Debating Squad is a highly selective and competitive process. Through a three-staged process, we select high potential candidates to debate on the National Squad.
Stage I: Regional Selections Round (Aug-Sep 2025)
You can enter Stage 1 of the selection process through only one of two tracks:
Track 1/ Team-based applications:
Stage I
All registrants compete in a Regional Selection Championship.
The Team India Selections is split into 5 rounds- North, East, Central, West, South, Senior. Each round accepts applications from that particular region. Schools located within these regions will be given an explicit preference in the respective competitions. Hence, you are encouraged to register your team for your regional competition.
There are five Regional Selection Championships students can use to enter the Selection Process. Each of these is a one-day online event conducted over Zoom comprising four rounds in the WSDC format that all participants will debate in. Topics for two rounds will be released in advance, and the topics for the other two will be released one hour prior to the commencement of the debate.
Please note that you can apply only once in the Selection cycle and only in your regional round. In case you miss your regional deadline, you may still apply. However, the consideration is based on the availability of slots.
We will be conducting the following regional rounds in August-September 2025.
Aug 23, 2025
North Zone Junior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Debaters from grades 8 & 9 only |
| Registration Deadline: August 16, 2025 |
| Regional Coverage: Schools in Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
Aug 30, 2025
South Zone Junior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Debaters from grades 8 & 9 only |
| Registration Deadline: August 23, 2025 |
| Regional Coverage: Schools in Andaman and Nicobar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana |
Sept 6, 2025
Central Zone Junior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Debaters from grades 8 & 9 only |
| Registration Deadline: August 30, 2025 |
| Regional Coverage: Schools in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha |
Sept 6, 2025
East Zone Junior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Debaters from grades 8 & 9 only |
| Registration Deadline: August 30, 2025 |
| Regional Coverage: Schools in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal |
Sep 20, 2025
Senior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Debaters from grades 10 & 11 only |
| Registration Deadline: September 6, 2025 |
| Regional Coverage: All India |
Oct 1 & 2, 2025
West Zone Junior & Senior Selection Championships
| Eligibility: Junior Division (Grades 7th – 9th), Senior Division (Grades 10th & 11th) |
| Regional Coverage: Schools in Dadra & Nagar Haveli + Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan |
The above dates are subject to change. Please visit this page regularly to stay updated.
Notes:
| • | You can compete as an institutional school team, or as a cross team i.e. a team consisting of students from different schools |
| • | Each student has to pay a registration fee of Rs. 1000/- as a commitment towards participation [1] |
| • | Because we have a cap on the number of teams who can register, we will initially only accept limited teams per school (1-2) before opening further slots up to the same school |
| • | Every team, unless from a same sex school, should have at least 1 girl on a three member team, and 2 members on a four member team |
| • | Schools with diverse teams (religion, caste, etc.) will be given a higher preference for second teams |
(Schools who do not meet this criteria will be disqualified regardless of their technical registration status.)
[1] Schools/students requiring bursaries (State schools, Affordable Private Schools, etc.) are requested to write to: [email protected]
Track 2/ Individual Applications: ISDS Open Access Track
The ISDS Open Access Track is an additional pathway for students whose schools are unable to send teams to the Regional Rounds. It is our aim to ensure that motivated individuals who are interested in debating but do not have any structured support systems such as a school debate club, regular practice sessions, or access to private coaching can take part in the ISDS National Selection.
Who this Track is for?
This Track is intended for students who:
- Attend schools that do not run debate activities or send teams to competitions.
- Do not have a debate teacher, club, or practice structure in school.
- Have not participated in private debate coaching, debate academies, or paid external programmes.
- May have informal interest or exposure, but lack any consistent institutional or coaching support to learn and practise debating.
To qualify for this Track, students must submit an application form. Applications open on 18th November and close on 28th November, 2025.
Applicants are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Access to debate opportunities: Whether the student has any school-based or external debate support.
- Motivation and commitment: The applicant’s reasons for applying, their interest in debating, and what they aim to gain.
- Readiness for independent work: The applicant’s ability to manage and submit tasks without team- or school-based support.
Selected applicants will be notified on November 29th. These students will have to complete a registration form and pay a nominal fee of INR 1,000 to confirm their place. After registration, they will receive an independent assignment to complete and submit by December 5th. Students who perform well will proceed to a second stage of the ISDS National Selections.
This Track aims to provide an opportunity for individual students from less-resourced environments to participate in the National Selection while maintaining ISDS’s high standards of rigour and fairness.
Stage II: Intermediate Selection Round
- Selected Students from Stage I participate in an intermediate selection round.
- Based on individual performances, students across the regions enter into a pool to compete in an intermediate selection round. This often involves an extensive quiz and essay, and potentially additional rounds of debate.
Stage III: National Selection Camp
- Selected students participate in a week-long National Selection Camp
- The top 65 – 70 students from all over the country are invited to Nationals in Chennai around December. This is a 5-6 day process, where each student’s individual needs are assessed, and students are placed with trainers that best match their strengths and development areas. Throughout camp, students are evaluated on their speaking ability, improvement over time, knowledge of world affairs and teamwork. At the end of camp, the top students are selected to be on the Indian squad. This year National Camp will be held from December 26 – 30.
- View our previous National Camps here
