Graduate and postgraduate students from Manipur can participate in a debating competition organised to mark MP Bimol Akoijam's second anniversary in office. Winners to witness Lok Sabha session.
Imphal, June 6: The office of Inner Manipur Member of Parliament Prof. Angomcha Bimol Akoijam has invited entries for a debating competition for graduate and postgraduate students to mark the second anniversary of his oath-taking as Lok Sabha MP.
According to a notice issued on June 6, the competition aims to encourage critical thinking, democratic engagement, public speaking skills and awareness of issues of public importance among young people.
The event will be conducted in a two-stage format, comprising district-level preliminary rounds followed by a final round. Different motions have been prescribed for the preliminary and final stages.
Motions for Debate
For the preliminary round, participants will debate a motion centred on the role of political parties in preventing the influence of money power and muscle power in electoral politics and elections.
For the final round, the debate will focus on whether regional political parties are better positioned than national political parties to understand and address the aspirations, concerns and developmental needs of Manipur.
District-Level Preliminary Rounds
The preliminary rounds will be held district-wise in the four districts under the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency:
Imphal West
Imphal East
Bishnupur
Thoubal
The winner from each district, along with the two best second-place teams across the district preliminary rounds, will qualify for the final.
In addition to these six teams from Inner Manipur, two teams from the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency will also be invited or selected to participate in the final round.
Eligibility and Entry
Only one team consisting of two speakers will be allowed to represent a college, academy, institute or university. Cluster universities are exempted from this restriction.
Interested colleges, academies, institutes and universities may submit their duly signed entry forms to the office of the MP on or before June 17, 2026.
Competition Rules
Teams will be assigned to speak either for or against the motion through a lottery system.
For the preliminary round, the lottery will be conducted 24 hours before the competition.
For the final round, the lottery will be conducted one hour before commencement.
The speaking format will be:
First speaker from each side: 6 minutes
Remaining speakers: 5 minutes each
The final round will also include a 30-minute rebuttal session, during which teams may directly question their opponents and respond to questions.
Participants may deliver their speeches in:
English
Manipuri
Or both languages
Awards
The competition carries the following prizes:
1st Prize: Rs.20,000
2nd Prize: Rs.15,000
3rd Prize: Rs.10,000
Consolation prizes will also be awarded.
Separate prizes will be given to winners of each district preliminary round.
The first prize-winning team will be invited to witness the Monsoon Session 2026 of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Important Dates
Opening of Form Submission: June 7, 2026
Last Date for Submission: June 17, 2026
Preliminary Rounds: June 20–21, 2026
Final Round: June 25, 2026
The venue and timings will be announced later.
Interested colleges, academies, institutes and universities can download the entry form from the Google Drive link provided by the organisers and submit the duly signed form to the office of the MP on or before June 17, 2026.
Contact Details
For further information:
385-2955866
7005404912
7627977580
7627977536
Email: akoijam24mp@gmail.com
