Events

NATIONAL LEVEL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATE COMPETITION

“Whether the Judiciary should have the power of judicial review or not”

Organized by

Amity Law School

Amity University Madhya Pradesh Gwalior

 General Information:                                                                                                                  

Date of Event:         29 and 30 April 2026

 Event Title:             Whether the Judiciary should have the power of judicial review or not

 Venue:                     Online Zoom Link

 Organized by:     Amity Law School

 Total Participation: 129 Participants, 74 Amitians+ 55 Outside Amity

Faculty Convenor:

 Maj Gen Rajinder Kumar AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd)

Director, Amity Law School, Amity University Madhya Pradesh

 Event Coordinator(s):

Dr. Saroj Chaudhary, Associate Professor- ALS, AUMP

Dr Arun Sharma Associate Professor-ALS, AUMP

Dr. Aakash Gupta, Associate Professor-ALS, AUMP

Ms Anshu Dwivedi, Assistant Professor, ALS, AUMP

Mr Ishu Gupta, Teaching Associate, ALS, AUMP

Panelist:                    

Judges of the Preliminary Round (Judge Panel):

1.     Dr. Sadanand A. Karhale – Assistant Professor, School of Law ICFAI, Hyderabad

2.     Ms. Khushbu Prasad – Assistant Professor, Amity University Patna

3.     Ms. Nidhi Kastwar – Assistant Professor, GH Raisoni University, Nagpur

4.     Dr. Jyoti Panchal – Associate Professor, SAGE University Indore

5.     Ms. Swati Pal – Assistant Professor, IPEM Law Academy, Ghaziabad

6.     Ms. Neha Gupta – Assistant Professor, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat

7.     Mr. Prashant Rao Mulik – Assistant Professor, Vikrant University, Gwalior

Judges of the Semi-Final Round (Distinguished Judges):

1.     Dr. Mandeep Kaur – Associate Professor, Mahindra University, Hyderabad

2.     Dr. Pooja Gupta – Associate Professor, Gwalior Law College, Gwalior

Judges of the Final Round (Esteemed Judges):

1.     Prof. Dr. MD Akbar Khan – ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad

2.     Prof. Dr. Deevanshu Shrivastava – National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi (NUSRL)

Winners:            

First Prize: Ms Gunjan Iyyer, GD Goyanka University Haryana

Second Prize: Ms Manvi Jain, Little Angels High School Gwalior

Third Prize: Ms Himanshi Sharma, Renaissance Law college, Indore

The National Level Constituent Assembly Debate Competition on the theme “Whether the Judiciary should have the power of Judicial Review” was conceptualized to promote experiential and outcome-based learning in alignment with the quality benchmarks prescribed by NAAC and IQAC. The activity provided a platform for students to engage in critical analysis of constitutional principles, particularly the doctrine of judicial review, separation of powers, and protection of Fundamental Rights. By simulating Constituent Assembly deliberations, the event fostered higher-order thinking skills, legal reasoning, public speaking, and research aptitude among participants. Furthermore, the initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by encouraging participatory and inquiry-based learning, and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by sensitizing students to the role of an independent judiciary in upholding rule of law and democratic governance. The event thus contributed significantly to holistic student development, academic enrichment, and strengthening of institutional commitment towards quality education and constitutional values.

The ‘Take Homes’ for the Guests and the Attendees in the form of knowledge, facts and information are:

1. Judicial review is a key mechanism for checking whether laws and government actions align with the Constitution.
2. The debate helps participants understand the balance between judicial independence and institutional restraint.
3. It reinforces the idea that constitutional democracy depends on protecting rights while respecting the roles of the legislature and executive.
4. Participants gain practical knowledge of how to build constitutional arguments, identify precedents, and evaluate competing viewpoints critically.
5. The topic encourages appreciation of the Constitution as a living framework shaped by interpretation, debate, and evolving judicial thought.

The chief guest was Maj Gen Sandeep Kumar Sharma, AVSM, VSM Former Judge Advocate General (Army). In his address, he pointed out that the power of judicial review is enshrined in the Indian Constitution and perhaps the Constitution itself can provide answers to all questions

 Some of the key outcomes are:

For the students:

1. Enhanced legal reasoning and constitutional understanding, particularly on judicial review, Fundamental Rights, and separation of powers
2. Improvement in public speaking, advocacy, and articulation skills
3. Development of research aptitude through preparation of arguments based on constitutional debates
4. Exposure to national-level competition and peer learning
5. Strengthening of critical thinking and analytical abilities

For the Faculties:

1. Opportunity to engage in academic mentoring and student training
2. Enhancement of teaching methodologies through experiential learning approaches
3. Strengthening of inter-institutional academic collaboration and networking

For the Researchers:

1. Promotion of a research-oriented academic environment
2. Encouragement for constitutional discourse and scholarly engagement
3. Strengthening of institutional visibility at the national level
4. Creation of opportunities for future collaborations, seminars, and conference

 Mission Connect

1. Creation of a structured database of all invited judges, including experts from ICFAI Hyderabad, SAGE University Indore, Marwadi University Gujarat, Mahindra University Hyderabad, NUSRL Ranchi, etc.
2. Establishment of formal communication channels (email groups, professional networks like LinkedIn)
3. Regular sharing of institutional newsletters, event updates, and academic opportunities
4. Invitation to judges and guests for future flagship events, conferences, and competitions

Mission: Synergy of Brains

1. Development of joint research papers, blogs, and edited volumes with invited academicians
2. Formation of a multi-institutional research group in Constitutional Law and Public Policy
3. Collaboration with institutions like NLU Delhi, Christ University, NMIMS, SRM University, Central University of South Bihar
4. Encouraging faculty-student co-authored publications