Bengaluru boy develops world's first live online debating platform

[email protected] (CD Network)
December 5, 2016

Bengaluru, Dec 5: Siddharth Pandiya, a student of Grade 12 at Greenwood High International School, Bangalore, has developed the world's first live debating platform which allows debaters from around the globe to engage in an intellectual discussion of relevant topics. Siddharth, an avid debater and a Model UN participant, took the reins to start the initiative called Debate for Change, the first and only live voice debate platform in the world.

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The 16 year-old is an avid debater and has participated in debates and Model UN conferences since middle school. Having noticed the glaring absence of a quality debate platform to debate with people on the same level, he started Debate for Change to fill this very void.

“I realized that people who are interested in debating for joy, do not have a practice ground to learn from others and discuss the pertinent issues facing the world today, every day. Moreover, existing debates which we watch on TV and the internet often devolve into chaos, diluting the quality of debate. That is what inspired me to develop Debate for Change – as a platform for the exchange of ideas among people of all ages, across the world,” said Siddharth Pandiya about his initiative.

The website, https://www.debateforchange.com, has many unique features which set it apart from other text-based debate websites. Participants sign up, choose a topic and debate against people worldwide in the presence of a moderator, who judges the debate and decides a winner. Based on the number of participations and wins, debaters attain a worldwide ranking. The participants can discuss any topic with anyone registered.

Siddharth's other notable triumph was when he founded MUNdreas, India's premier Model UN (MUN) delegation, which has consistently won the country's most prestigious MUN, Harvard MUN, in 2015 and 2016. He is also a tech enthusiast, and aims to pursue Computer Science during his higher education. Moreover, he has quizzed at the national level, and is a footballer, having represented his school as a central defender. He wishes to become a tech entrepreneur and start something of his own in this arena. Debate for Change is clearly a leap in that direction.

Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International, said, “Provided with due encouragement, students will rise to the challenge to solve any impending problem. Greenwood High is proud to have had the chance to harbor such talent that inspires generations of students to reach for something great.”

Comments

suresh
 - 
Monday, 5 Dec 2016

Recently student who created braille system encouraged by our PM in his speech, printed currency by inspiration of make in India and caught.

Well Said
 - 
Monday, 5 Dec 2016

Indian brain always Rock but our dirty Politics never let to grow. Gandhi Raj Neethi, Gandhi Kel.

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News Network
April 13,2024

Mangaluru, Apr 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to campaign for the upcoming and much awaited Lok Sabha election in coastal Karnataka by holding a mega roadshow in Mangaluru. 

Meanwhile, the organisers have announced a slight delay in the commencement of Modi's scheduled roadshow on April 14 in Mangaluru.

Addressing the media BJP principal secretary and Karnataka MLA V Sunil Kumar said: Originally the roadshow was scheduled to begin at 5 pm., but it will start at 7:30 pm."

As planned, the Roadshow will kick off from Narayan Guru Circle, where Prime Minister Modi will pay floral tribute to Sri Narayan Guru idol. From there, the Roadshow will proceed and conclude at Navabharat Circle. 

Mr Kumar urged people traveling to Mangaluru to see Mr Modi's visit by 7 p.m. and stand behind the barricades. The roadshow is estimated to conclude at 8:30 pm.

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News Network
April 24,2024

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Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday slammed Rahul Gandhi’s "wealth redistribution promise", stating that only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like that.

 “He is dreaming of a revolution. By talking about wealth redistribution, Rahul Gandhi has insulted and humiliated two Congress Prime Ministers who brought market reforms and increased the wealth of the nation,” he added, recalling the contribution of P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh in economic liberalisation.

Accusing Gandhi of indirectly trying to say that what the two Congress Prime Ministers did was wrong, Gowda said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has torn up their economic reforms like he had torn up an ordinance (which sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs) issued by (the then) Manmohan Singh (government)."

The 90-year-old JD(S) supremo ridiculed the Congress manifesto claiming that only a party that is sure of never coming to power can make as many promises.

“The Congress has promised so many things in its manifesto. The only party that is very sure of never coming to power will promise so much,” Gowda said at a press conference here.

He said the Congress wants to turn this country 'upside down' and the promises made by it indicated that it wants to come to power 'at any cost'.

“Rahul Gandhi wants to do a wealth survey and distribute the wealth. Does he think he is a mass leader,” Deve Gowda said.

Picking up points from the Congress manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, Gowda said Rahul Gandhi wants to 'give 30 lakh new central government jobs and run this country'.

“There are only 40 lakh sanctioned jobs. How can he create 30 lakh more jobs overnight? How much will he pay these people? Where will he employ them,” he asked.

“Only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like this. (P) Chidambaram was the manifesto committee chairman. Does he agree with Rahul Gandhi’s immature economic ideas,” Gowda said.

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News Network
April 13,2024

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Mysuru, Apr 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be visiting Mysuru on Sunday, is welcome in the state.

"Let him come and go. He is the PM. But he should tell people about what he has done to the people of Karnataka. Let him answer about the injustice done by the Union Government towards the state in terms of giving tax share, not releasing drought relief funds yet and also about the unemployment issue," he said.

The Chief Minister was speaking to media people near his residence at Sharadadevi Nagar in Mysuru on Saturday.

Reacting to a question on BJP's slogan, 'Teesri Baar Modi Sarkar, Ab Ki Baar Char Sau Paar' (Modi government for the third time with over 400 seats), CM Siddaramaiah said, "This slogan is only a strategy to divert the minds of people. Because, according to me, the NDA will not get an absolute majority/simple majority this time in the Parliament elections."

"I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the parties which are against BJP will get a majority in the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

Responding to the statement of BJP leaders that 'even if B R Ambedkar comes, the Indian Constitution cannot be changed', Siddaramaiah said, "BJP is always against the Indian Constitution. Savarkar and the second Chief of RSS M S Golwalkar both opposed the Indian Constitution written by Baba Saheb B R Ambedkar on January 26, 1950."

"When BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde spoke about changing the Indian Constitution twice, why wasn't he punished? Why wasn't he suspended from the party? Why didn't they drop him from the cabinet?"

"Hegde was not given a ticket for the LS polls, as he had not done any work in the five years and was only active for the last three-four months of his term. The reason Hegde was not given a ticket was because BJP had realised that he would lose the elections, and not because of his statement related to the Constitution" the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, regarding the nabbing of the two key suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "I thank the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and also the Karnataka police for tracing and arresting the accused in the case, in Kolkata."

"They will be brought to Bengaluru and further information related to the case will be known after their interrogation," he said.

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