Knock-Out! 2026 Debate at Government Law College, Mumbai [Offline; 24 Oct]

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai presents its flagship debate Knock-Out! 2026. Debating is an art at the very heart of advocacy, and the committee describes Knock-Out! as one of the most prestigious debating events, a tradition rooted in the college’s culture of critical thought that promotes fearless expression.

Knock-Out! features two teams, each consisting of two speakers, who argue a contemporary issue. The audience becomes a part of the action: the audience votes and decides the winners, with the guidance of the moderators, who are distinguished legal experts.

Justice by Judiciary in the past 25 years: A Shield or a Sham?

• Date: Saturday, 24th October, 2026
• Time: 04:00 p.m onwards
• Venue: Auditorium, Government Law College, Mumbai

Proposition, arguing in favour of the motion:

• Agastya Vijayaraghavan, an alumnus of Government Law College and currently an Associate in M/s. Crawford Bayley & Co. He is a seasoned mooter with achievements across intra and inter college events, was part of the Moot Court Association from 2022 to 2024, and has engaged in ADR events.
• Tanisha Singh, a final-year law student interested in public speaking and reading. She has served as General Secretary of the Moot Court Association, and her interest lies in dispute resolution, particularly arbitration. She has won the NLSTIAM 2024 and the HPNLU National Moot 2024.

Opposition, challenging the motion:

• Shwet Pandit, an alumnus of Government Law College and presently an associate at DSK Legal, working with a Dispute Resolution team. He was runner up at the Netaji Subhas Memorial Parliamentary Debate '22, a semi-finalist at the 15th IIT Bombay Debate 2023 and an octo-finalist at the K.K. Luthra Memorial Moot Court, 2025. He also represented GLC, Mumbai, as an oralist at the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition 2023.
• Maaz Rashid Momin, a final-year law student at Government Law College, Mumbai, with an interest in Indian politics, constitutional affairs and public policy. He has participated in over 50 Model United Nations and Youth Parliament conferences, alongside Moot Courts and Parliamentary debates.

• Sr. Adv. Pradeep Sancheti has practised as Counsel in the Bombay High Court for more than three decades and was designated a Senior Advocate about 16 years back. His practice is largely in laws relating to business and commerce and in writ litigation. He has appeared in PIL matters on forests, parking on roads, hoardings for advertisement and reservation, and in cases relating to frauds in commercial matters, including the Securities Scam of 1993 (Harshad S. Mehta) and 1998 (Ketan Parikh).
• Sr. Adv. Gayatri Singh has over two decades of experience at the Bombay High Court and is known for her expertise in labour law and human rights. She co-founded the Human Rights Law Network and is part of a national network of lawyers and legal activists providing legal aid and legal education to the poor and marginalized. She is an active member of the forum against oppression of women and has helped suggest amendments in laws relating to rape and sexual violence against women. She represents organisations in Maharashtra working with persons with disability, people under trial, the rural poor, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and unorganized workers.
• Sr. Adv. Mihir Desai is a human rights lawyer practising as Senior Counsel in the High Court of Bombay and the Supreme Court of India. He is well regarded for work on cases related to illegal acts by the authorities, police brutality and sexual assault, assisted survivors of the 2002 Gujarat massacre, and more recently appeared before the Bombay High Court to challenge illegal detentions and police actions against civilians during protests in Mumbai. He was co-editor of the book Women and Law (1999), is a co-founder of the Indian People's Tribunal (IPT) and the Human Rights Law Network, and is a former director of the India Center for Human Rights and Law.

The Magazine Committee of Government Law College, Mumbai curates the annual magazine of the college, titled méLAWnge. With a legacy of 96 years, the Magazine Committee draws active participation from students and continuous support from professors and patrons. Beyond the magazine, it advances this tradition through academic events and initiatives fostering intellectual thought and expression.

To register for the event, fill the Google form at https://forms.gle/j3p3FKMx36Fz5rRDA. The form is an Expression of Interest to attend Knock-Out! 2026 and asks for your name, contact number, name of college or workplace, year of study, and any questions you have related to the topic.

For queries, email melawnge@glcmumbai.com or contact the Outreach Coordinators: Bhagyashree Palsaniya (+91 94201 57179) or Dharini Raghunathan (+91 74001 76758).