Amity Law School Noida organized a two -day, Inter University National Debate Competition, Verbum Bellum 4.0, on the theme, 'Viksit Bharat @2047' from 16^th -17^th September 2024, wherein more than 200 participants from renowned institutions participated. “Verbam Bellum" is a French term which means "War of Words" and the objective of the debate competition was to go beyond the confines of the classroom and encourage discussion, deliberation and exchange of ideas and opinions and to ponder upon the vision to achieve Viksit Bharat@2047.

Prof. (Dr.) Virendra Kumar Vijay, IREDA Chair Professor, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, averred, “India cannot become a developed nation unless the rural areas are not developed. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to rural development and all facilities which are available in the cities must be made available for people living in rural areas. New Age technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and others must be used for the development of small towns and villages.”

Mr. Kiran Sivakumar, IPS, DIG, CBI and Interpol Officer, said, “The mission of Viksit Bharat@2047 can only be achieved through sustainable development and technological advancement. The youth must visualise what kind of nation they want to build since they are the architects of tomorrow.” He urged the students to engage with the communities, challenge the status quo and voice their opinion since they have the power to ignite the change and make India a better place.

Highlighting the significance of the competition, Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Bandyopadhyay, Chairman Amity Law School, averred, “Viksit Bharat’, which stands for “developed India” is an initiative by the government to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of independence for India. India’s sustained growth and advancement will be based on the dynamic characteristics of socio-economic, cultural, political, and technological advancement. Debate competitions provide an opportunity to the students to test their thoughts and views against that of their peers and the competition will help students to develop critical thinking on economic and social policies.”

Welcoming the guests, Dr. Shefali Raizada, Director Amity Law School, said, “The underlying goal of organizing the competition is to provide a platform to students to showcase their presentation and debating skills. The competition is a great way of engaging students and bringing life to the topic of Viksit Bharat@2047. “

Multiple debate formats including Group Discussion, Conventional Debate and Congressional Debate were used for the competition and the Valedictory Ceremony was attended by Dr. Arvind P. Bhanu, Additional Director Amity Law School, faculty and students of Amity Law School.