Peitho Cup 2026, 2nd Edition Asian Parliamentary Debate and The Reporter's Showdown

The Peitho Cup is back for its second edition, and it is one of the more genuinely well organised debating championships open to students this year. It is hosted by the School of Law at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Pune Lavasa Campus, run jointly by its Debate and Literary Society and the Entertainment and Media Law Committee. The format pairs a full Asian Parliamentary Debate with a parallel media reporting track called The Reporter's Showdown, so you get both the cut and thrust of competitive debate and a chance to test your journalistic instincts. The prize pool crosses 1,00,000, the preliminary rounds run online so distance is no barrier, and the knockout stages happen on the scenic Lavasa campus.

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) is a NAAC A plus accredited institution with national and global recognition. The Pune Lavasa Campus sits in the Sahyadri hills and offers programmes across law, management, commerce, data science, and humanities. The School of Law runs integrated undergraduate degrees (BA LLB Honours, BBA LLB Honours), postgraduate LLM programmes, and a PhD in Law, structured in line with Bar Council of India and University Grants Commission guidelines.

The Debate and Literary Society sits within the Students Bar Association and runs training sessions, debates, and prepares students for national and international competitions. The Entertainment and Media Law Committee, which co-hosts the event, focuses on entertainment, media, and intellectual property law, and brings the reporting track to life. This is a clearly institution backed event, not a one off, which is exactly what you want to see before committing time and a registration fee.

There are two tracks running side by side under the same championship.

Asian Parliamentary Debate: the core competition, contested in the Asian Parliamentary format. Preliminary rounds happen online so teams from anywhere in India can take part. Qualifying teams then travel to the Lavasa campus for the Octa-Finals, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Finals, all held offline.

The Reporter's Showdown: a media reporting track for those who want to cover the debates rather than argue them, judged separately with its own winner and runner-up prizes.

The preliminary motions are already public and centre on media and personality rights. Teams must prepare every motion and be ready to argue either side, since the motion and the side are announced just before each round. Each motion comes with an information note available in the official Google Drive.

• This House would hold media houses criminally liable for presenting paid news without clear public disclosure.
• This House prohibits the unauthorised use of a public figure's identity and supports stronger personality rights.
• This House would hold influencers and celebrities legally liable for misleading endorsements.
• This House prohibits influencers and podcasters from providing professional advice in regulated sectors without recognised qualifications.

The competition is open to all students across universities in India. Both law and non-law students are welcome, so you do not need to be enrolled in a law programme to take part. A maximum of three teams per College, Institution, or University may participate. A debate team is composed of four members for the registration stage, with offline rounds structured around a debate team of three.

Teams must register through their official College Email ID or any other recognised student association Email ID. Be ready to argue both sides of every preliminary motion, as sides are drawn at the start of each round. The rulebook, a demonstration video, and the motion information notes are all available in the official Google Drive, so read these before you register.

Registration forms were released on 1 June 2026. Registrations close on 20 August 2026, with an early bird window ending 1 August 2026. Team codes are assigned on 1 September 2026. The online preliminary rounds run on 12 and 13 September 2026, with results declared on 16 September 2026. Qualifying teams then compete in the offline knockout rounds at the Lavasa campus on 3 and 4 October 2026, with the valedictory ceremony on 4 October 2026.

Registration is a two step process. First, complete the payment through the official CHRIST University payment portal, then fill out the Google registration form.

1. Go to the official site at lavasa.christuniversity.in.
2. Open Menu, select E-Services, then Online Payment Portal.
3. Click the payment link at the bottom of the page.
4. Set Fee Name to Fest or Event, and under Select Category pick Peitho Cup 2026 Early Bird or Peitho Cup 2026 Regular as applicable, fill the captcha, and continue.
5. Complete the payment and save your receipt.
6. Continue to the Google registration form and submit your team details.

Offline round fees and any accommodation or food charges are only payable once the list of qualifying teams is announced, so you are not paying for travel before you know you have made it through.

• Confirm your College, Institution, or University is not already sending three teams
• Decide whether you are entering the debate track, the reporting track, or both
• Register using your official college or recognised student association email ID
• Read the rulebook, watch the demonstration video, and review the motion notes in the Google Drive
• Prepare all four preliminary motions for both sides
• Complete payment on the CHRIST online payment portal and save your receipt
• Fill and submit the Google registration form before 20 August 2026 (or 1 August 2026 for early bird pricing)