📌About the Event

The 17th CNLU National Parliamentary Debate 2026 is the flagship national debating tournament organised by the Academic and Debating Committee of Chanakya National Law University, Patna. Continuing a legacy of 16 successful editions, the competition provides students with a platform to demonstrate critical thinking, persuasive communication, rebuttal skills and structured argumentation. The tournament will follow the Asian Parliamentary Debate format and feature preliminary rounds, outrounds and a grand finale.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Type of event: National-level parliamentary debating competition
• Mode of conduct: Offline
• Venue: Chanakya National Law University campus, Patna, Bihar
• Debate format: Asian Parliamentary Debate or APD
• Team format: Three debaters versus three debaters
• Participating benches: Government and Opposition
• Tournament structure: Five preliminary rounds followed by outrounds and the final
• Team cap: A maximum of 34 teams will be accepted.
• Adjudicator policy: N=N, meaning participating institutions must provide one adjudicator for every registered team.
• Participant facilities: Hotel accommodation, meals during the three-day tournament and transportation between the airport or railway station and the accommodation venue will be arranged.

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📅 Important Dates

• September 11, 2026:
  • Inaugural ceremony
  • Asian Parliamentary Debate briefing
  • Judges’ briefing
  • Tabulation briefing
  • Preliminary Rounds 1 and 2
• September 12, 2026:
  • Preliminary Rounds 3, 4 and 5
  • Break announcement
  • Break Night with DJ
• September 13, 2026:
  • Outrounds
  • Final round
  • Valedictory ceremony

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Who can participate:
  • The competition is open to undergraduate students enrolled in recognised educational institutions.
  • Postgraduate students from recognised institutions are also eligible.
  • Participation is not restricted only to law students unless the organisers issue a separate clarification.
  • Participants must comply with the prescribed team and adjudicator requirements.
  • Registration may close once the tournament reaches its cap of 34 teams.
• Teams will receive a total preparation time of 30 minutes before each round.
• The first five minutes will be used for ranking the debate motions.
• The remaining 25 minutes will be used for preparing arguments and the team’s case.
• Participants cannot use the internet or other online resources during the preparation period.
• Teams must follow the N=N adjudicator policy and provide one adjudicator for each team registered.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Total prize pool: ₹2,64,000
• Winner: ₹1,00,000
• Runner-up: ₹60,000
• Semi-finalists: ₹36,000 in total, with ₹18,000 for each semi-finalist team
• Best Speaker: ₹15,000
• Best Adjudicator: ₹15,000
• Second-Best Adjudicator: ₹9,000
• Third-Best Adjudicator: ₹6,000
• Novice Winner: ₹18,000
• Best Novice Speaker: ₹5,000