Sishu Griha Parliamentary Debate 2023

Speak Up to Stand Out

Tournament Guide
Made By:
The Organizing Committee,
Sishu Griha Parliamentary Debate 2023
 A Guide to Parliamentary Debating

Overview of the Competition

Sishu Griha Parliamentary Debate 2023 is a 2-day long event. On both days (24th and 25th June 2023),
debating will take place from 8 am to 5 pm. There will be three preliminary rounds of debate,
following which the top 8 teams will break through to the quarterfinals.

What is Asian Parliamentary Debating?

Asian Parliamentary Debating is a type of debate format which takes place between two teams of 3
members each. Each speaker gives a seven-minute speech. Following the six substantive speeches,
each team will deliver a four-minute reply speech. Replies can be made only by the first or second
speaker on the team. Unlike conventional speech debates, the content of a speech is more important
than the manner in which it is delivered. This format also contains Points of Information, which will be
touched upon later.

Common Debating Terms

Point of Information (POI): It is a 15-second question or comment asked during a constructive
speech.
Motion: The topic to be debated
House: The House clarifies the point of view you are debating from
Definition: A definition of the unclear words in the motion/subjective terms in the motion
Model: A model is what you would like to implement. It is a plan for HOW you will implement the
motion/solve the problem
Burden: What you have to prove in order to win the debate
Clashes: Clashes/points of clash are the issues that both sides disagree on. They are the questions on
which the debate will be decided
Adjudicator: A judge. Several judges constitute a panel.
Premise: The factual or logical basis for your argument.

Speaker Roles
1st Speaker
The first speaker (known as the Prime Minister or Leader of Opposition) on both teams is responsible
for introducing the context the debate takes place in and all the relevant characterisation of the debate.
They are responsible for defining unclear words in the motion and setting-up the debate by framing a
model and placing burdens. The most important arguments are brought out in this speech. The first
speaker on side opposition also has to rebut arguments brought out by the first speaker on side
proposition.
2nd Speaker
The second speakers (known as Deputy PM and Deputy LO) are responsible for replying to all the
material brought out by the first speakers. They need to rebuild the parts of their case that have been
rebutted and bring out further rebuttal. Second speakers should fill in missing logical links or additional
nuance to the first speaker’s arguments. They may also bring out additional arguments to support their
case.

3rd Speaker
Third speakers (known as Government and Opposition whip) are responsible for thematizing the debate
in the form of clashes. No new arguments can be brought up in a third speaker’s speech. A whip can
rebut previous arguments made in the debate. Their primary role is to thematise the debate and prove to
the judge that you have won. To do that, a whip must assess what has happened in the debate (identify
clashes in the debate and explain how the clash played out) and explain how their side has won the
clash, as well as the importance of the clash to the debate.

Reply
A reply speech is a kind of biased adjudication of the debate. There is no new matter of any kind
permitted, even new lines of rebuttal are not allowed here. The reply speaker needs to explain to the
adjudicator why the arguments made by their side are the winning ones.

The Flow of a Debate

The following diagram illustrates how the debate will take place:
Arguments
An argument is an answer to the simple question “Why should this motion pass/fail?” An argument
needs a concise and crisp title. An easy way to title arguments is by filling in the blanks “<motion>
because <title>”. For example, “This House will ban homework because it is ineffective and takes
away from family time”.

To generate arguments, think of who will be affected by the motion and in what ways. In order to
generate well fleshed-out arguments, remember to ask “Why?” at every step of your thought process.

Remember to link the argument back to the motion - all arguments need to be relevant to the debate at
hand. An argument cannot be a line or two, it needs to be backed up by reasons and logical links.

Using the PEEL model can help generate good arguments.

- Premise: What are you assuming and basing this argument on?
- Explanation: Why does your claimed result occur? What are the logical steps in the way?
- Evidence: Places this has been done in the past, analogies etc.
- Link: How and why is this relevant to the debate?

Rebuttal
Rebuttal is a mechanism to disprove the opponent’s arguments by redirecting or removing their logical
links. A rebuttal is more than just saying “That is incorrect” or “Wrong!”. It requires logic and analysis,
much like an argument. Remember to understand their case and rebut the idea behind an argument. Do
not cherry-pick elements from their speech to make rebuttal easier.

Rebuttal Structure:
1. What did the other side say?
2. Why is this wrong? Dispute the links or the results.
3. What does this mean to the debate? How does it help your case?

Points of Information
A Point of Information is a question asked in between the second and sixth minute by the opponent
team. The first and last minute of every speech is protected time, and no questions may be asked in this
period. The entirety of the reply speech is protected. A POI is a 15-second question or comment on the
speech that is going on. A POI is used to maintain relevance with the debate. This is done by getting
concessions from the opponent team or by getting them to engage with topics that they haven’t already.
A speaker can reject a POI, though it is considered good practice to take at least one during each
speech.
Preparation Time
All rounds at SGPD 2023 will be impromptu debates. Motions will be released at the start of the round,
following which teams will have 30 minutes to prepare for the debate.
Note: The use of the Internet is strictly prohibited during prep-time except to discuss with your
teammates. Teams found using the Internet otherwise will be dealt with severe action.

During preparation time, teams should keep the following checklist in mind:
- Set-up: Have I defined unclear words in the motion? Have I outlined the burden on each side?
Have I formulated a model to implement my policy, if required?
- Arguments: Do I have 2-3 well thought out arguments to defend my case?
- Rebuttal: Have I anticipated the main points from the other side? Do I have responses to those
points

General Rules
- Speeches at SGPD 2023 will be 7 minutes long. The first and last minute of each speech is
protected time (no POI’s can be asked)
- Have at least a 15 second gap between consecutive POI’s. Any less will be considered
disrespectful to the speaker speaking.
- After each debate, adjudicators will give feedback to the teams. If you wish to ask the
adjudicator for more feedback, message the adjudicator personally on Discord.