Debates- write a script for a debate

 

Satavahana University Karimnagar

          III Year Sem 6

Text book exercises:-

Write a script for a debate on any one of the following topics either for or against the motion.

2) Animal testing should be banned.

3) Nobody should have the right to own a gun.

4) Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today (June 2022 SU) 

1. Animal testing should be banned.

In favor of the motion

Respected Judges and friends.

Animal testing should be banned since it is a terrible and inhumane practise. The testing is mostly done on rats, mice, guinea pigs, and monkeys. Giving helpless animals terrible trials so that people can gain from them is cruel. Animals have the same right to life as humans. It is unethical and unreliable to employ animals in scientific investigations. Animals don't always respond to medications and chemicals in the same way that people do. As a result, using animals in research frequently yields unreliable data, endangering human lives. Cell cultures and computer simulations are alternatives to animal testing. Compared to animal testing, these procedures are more accurate and can yield data more quickly. Animal testing is, therefore, cruel and unreliable. It's time to ban this cruel practise.

Against the motion

We must understand that animal testing is a necessary evil. It is impossible to dispute the advantages of animal testing for human health and safety. Animal testing was used to generate many of the life-saving medications and medical techniques we use today. Although it is true that animal testing can be cruel, we must realise that strict guidelines are given by governments to guarantee the animals' safety. Alternatives like cell cultures and computer simulations are helpful, but they cannot entirely replace animal testing. Despite its flaws, animal testing is still a necessary evil that we must accept for the sake of protecting the health and safety of humans. There is a need to look for ways to improve the conditions for lab animals and investigate alternatives, we cannot outright ban animal testing.

2. Nobody should have the right to own a gun.

In favor of the motion

Respected Judges and friends,

Guns are lethal weapons that can cause harm and death in the wrong hands. Gun ownership leads to an increase in gun violence, accidents, and suicides. The USA is witnessing gun violence due to guns in the wrong hands. Though people defend gun ownership as a right to defend themselves, it is not necessary for self-defense. We have police and other security forces to protect us. India and other countries have strict gun control laws. The police issue the gun license based on the threat the individual faces and renew it periodically.

    In conclusion, nobody should have the right to own a gun. Guns are dangerous weapons that lead to an increase in gun violence, accidents, suicides and mass shootings. 

Against the motion

The right to own a gun is a fundamental right that should not be taken away. Gun ownership is necessary for self-defence. We cannot always rely on the police and other security forces to protect us from killers. In some situations, owning a gun is the only way to defend ourselves and our loved ones.

Strict gun control laws do not necessarily lead to a decrease in gun violence and deaths. Criminals will still find ways to obtain guns, and law-abiding citizens will be left defenceless.

In conclusion, the right to own a gun is a fundamental right that should not be taken away. Gun ownership is necessary for self-defense.

Text book model

Let us now look at a model debate on corruption.

Against the motion

Honourable judges and listeners,

We all know that corruption is one of the major issues faced by us today. It hampers our social, political, educational and economic growth. We all should remember that fighting corruption is not the job of a single individual or agency. It is a collective and a coordinated effort. It requires synergy. Several bodies, agencies, NGOs law enforcement departments and law-abiding citizens need to come together to eradicate corruption. The corrupt should be punished without any delay. For this to become a reality, our attitude needs to change. Our clear disregard for rules as a nation reflects in the corruption prevalent in our systems. Some of us unnecessarily encourage deviation from the rules as long as the work is getting done, even if by illegal means. We all know that bribery is illegal. However, many give in to the temptation of achieving their ends through bribery. Let us perform all our actions in an honest and transparent manner. We must act in the public interest for the sake of our nation's progress. The values of honesty and sincerity have become sparse in our dealings today. Upholding these core human values can go a long way in setting things in motion and ending this unending cycle of corruption. All incidents of corruption should be brought under the radar of the appropriate agency. Schemes such as the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) have reduced the scope of corruption in government transactions. This program entails the transfer of subsidies directly to the people through their bank accounts. This is aimed at reducing leakages and delays in financial transactions. Introduced in the year 1913, this scheme has saved tremendous amounts of money from falling into the hands of middlemen. It is being implemented in hundreds of schemes of multiple ministries, including the education sector. Moving towards one tax, insolvency and bankruptcy codes are other progressive changes aimed at creating a clear and transparent financial system. Further, technology has eliminated human intervention in financial aspects, leading to a decline in the chances of committing offences and malpractices. The new policies seek to encourage zero tolerance towards corruption by tapping black money, restricting terror funding, keeping a check on unauthorised foreign funding. averting tax evasion and increasing revenue sources.

The Certificate of Commitment issued by the Central Vigilance Commission expects all of us to adopt the Integrity Pledge, to commit to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity and to follow probity and the rule of law in all walks of life. I am waiting for the day when my country becomes a proud nation without any corruption. To make this dream a reality, we all must uphold the values of honesty and sincerity in the highest regard, and ensure vigilance to strengthen the hands that fight against corruption.

Today, we sense a need to stand united for change. We need inspiration from people who epitomise exemplary qualities. There have been personalities such as Anna Hazare, a social activist who was the figurehead of the Indian anti-corruption movement in 2011-12, who have caught the nation's attention in recent times. Our former President, the Late A. P. J. Abdul Kalam had once said that youth who begin fighting corruption from their homes can be our exemplars.

Electronic and social media are mighty tools to expose corruption and other unjust practices in today's age. We have witnessed the power of social media to expose and strengthen numerous social and political movements in recent times. The youth is playing a key role in bringing forth these issues and generating public interest in pressing matters that require our attention.

However, having covered all these points, we cannot undermine the fact that corruption cannot be eradicated at one go. Investigative and anti-corruption bodies such as the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should not only be autonomous but must also be bestowed with extraordinary powers to fight corruption. They should work liberally without any shackles for us to live in a progressive nation, free of injustice.

If you support corruption, what do you propose?

For the motion

Respected judges and friends,

India has ranked 86 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index in the year 2020. This implies that our nation is 86 in corruption. Some of us may be unhappy to see this ranking. However, we are ahead of almost a hundred corrupt countries of the world. The most perceived corrupt country in the world has been Somalia, since 2012.

Now I'll throw some light on different layers of corruption. Corruption is a multi- faceted and a hydra-headed issue. We see corruption at both small scales and grand scales such as politics, as well as public and private undertakings. In fact even social events such as weddings entail a substantial amount of corruption, involving financial implications and negotiations. In both private and public firms, contracts and tenders are commonly exposed to corruption, whereby quotations are leaked, and contracts awarded to corrupt companies wherein builders use low-quality construction materials leading to great disasters and loss of lives. Even the education segment is not untainted by this debasement. Educational institutions recruit undeserving candidates and issue counterfeit certificates and degrees rampantly. In the medical field too, doctors prescribe unnecessary medicines, tests, and issue false medical certificates. We have witnessed huge scams in religious places, banks, and financial institutions in recent times. At the basic level, government officials do not forward or sanction any contract without a bribe.

Let me share an anecdote here: Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, once said that there were two options for him. He said, 'Either I get corrupted and I put my family in the Forbes List of the richest people in the world and leave my people with nothing. Or I serve my country, my people and let my country be in the list of the ten best economies in the world. I chose the second option.

Corruption is a disease that has rapidly spread to every fibre of our society, becoming a way of life. We all accept it, though it greatly impedes the progress of our nation. The ramperit corruption around us has made us indifferent as a nation.

People indulge in corruption because of the haste to make quick money. Materialistic values have intercepted moral values fostering an atmosphere of excess, mismanagement, price hikes, economic crisis, ineffective leadership, unemployment and a perpetual discontentment, among others.

However, despite these examples of corruption the voices of dissent against the system have seen a sharp rise. Corruption at any level cannot be justified, but its existence in our society has led to a significant emergence of an informed and aware class of people. These are the voices who otherwise would have remained silent had the evils of corruption not battered our system. Despite the numerous atrocities meted out to those who have emerged to counter corruption, there have been instances of positive transformation. Therefore, I close my argument by putting forth my starice that the only just way to stand for this motion is by highlighting the achievements of those fighting against it. Without corruption, the movements led try people who selflessly counter the gaps in our system would cease to exist.

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