The KIIT Centre for Constitutional Law Studies and Research (CCLSR), KIIT School of Law, successfully hosted its annual flagship event, “WE DISSENT 4.0 – Rule or Overrule: Guardian of Rights or Usurper of Power”, a debate competition held on September 8, 2025, as an exclusive intra-institutional academic initiative. The competition was conceived following the resounding success of “WE DISSENT 3.0” (2024), organised by CCLSR as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Constitution.

The event took place at Lecture Hall 1 and served as a platform for participants to showcase their debating skills and understanding of contemporary constitutional law issues. The competition drew participation from 40+ students across the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years.

The event commenced with the reporting and registration of participants. The teams were then directed to their respective rooms for the preliminary rounds. The distinguished panel of faculty judges included Dr. Pragnya Parimita Ray, Dr. Rishi Dev, Dr. Parimita Dash, Dr. Sidhartha Sekhar Dash, Dr. Zeenat Taher, Mr. Umang Ghildyal, Dr. Amlan Chakraborty, Mr. Prateek Mishra, and Dr. Ramesh Chandra Sethi.

The preliminary rounds featured three distinct topics, each debated in a separate room:

  • Topic 1: Public Safety vs. Animal Rights – Participants debated whether public safety should take precedence over animal rights. The affirmative side, arguing for public safety, cited various Indian case laws and constitutional articles, while the opposing side supported animal rights, emphasizing fundamental duties and the lack of adequate infrastructure for animals.
  • Topic 2: Judicial Entry and Eligibility – This debate focused on whether a mandatory three-year bar experience for civil judge appointments is essential for practical exposure, or whether it unfairly delays opportunities for fresh law graduates.
  • Topic 3: Personhood of Artificial Intelligence – This topic examined whether the personhood of AI is a viable future or merely a science-fiction concept, particularly when viewed through the lens of corporate personhood.

Following High Tea, the results of the preliminary rounds were declared in the presence of Prof. (Dr.) K. D. Raju, Hon’ble Pro-Vice Chancellor, KIIT-DU; Prof. (Dr.) N. L. Mitra, Professor Emeritus; Prof. (Dr.) Rose Varghese, Hon’ble Director, KIIT School of Law; Prof. (Dr.) Rajan Varghese, Hon’ble Director, Research and Innovation, KIIT School of Law; and Dr. Kyvalya Garikapati, Dean Academics, KIIT School of Law. The top five participants — Praharshitha Parimi, Rishita Choudhury, Urvashi Kiran, Suchana Sen, and A. Aswin Sekaran — advanced to the final round.

In the final round, the participants were asked questions related to the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025. This was followed by a debate session where they had to either support or oppose the Bill, along with subsequent rebuttals.

The Patron-in-Chief, Dr. Kyvalya Garikapati (Dean Academics, founding member of CCLSR), addressed the gathering and spoke about the growth of the Centre and the consistent improvement in the quality of the debates over the years. The Director then addressed the gathering, thanking the Pro-Vice Chancellor for his presence, congratulating the participants for their enthusiastic contributions, and commending the team of CCLSR for organising the successful event.

The results of the competition were as follows:

  • Winner: A. Aswin Sekaran
  • 1st Runner-up: Suchana Sen
  • 2nd Runner-up: Praharshitha Parimi

The winners were felicitated by Prof. (Dr.) K. D. Raju, Prof. (Dr.) N. L. Mitra, Prof. (Dr.) Rose Varghese, Prof. (Dr.) Rajan Varghese, Dr. Kyvalya Garikapati, Mr. Shashank Nande (Faculty Convenor, CCLSR), and Mr. Anshu Adarsh (Faculty Co-Convenor, CCLSR) with trophies and gifts, recognising their outstanding performance.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Shashank Nande, Faculty Convenor, bringing “WE DISSENT 4.0” to a successful close.