CHENNAI: Students from Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women won the Elihu Yale Inter-Collegiate Debate 2019, conducted by the Indo-American Association, Chennai, on Monday. The competition was held in association with the Consulate General of United States of America, Chennai, and Women’s Christian College.
The debate was held on the topic, ‘Presidential form of government for India, will it work or fail?’ A total of 17 teams from various colleges in the city and nearby, participated in the day-long event which culminated with an awards ceremony. Safa Tabassum and Mayura from Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women won the first place, while Shilpa Srinivasan and Sharada Sharma from WCC, and Shaina Dewan and Parth Guptha from the Great Lakes institute of Management, were the runners-up.
Speaking at the event, Robert G Burgess, the H. E. Consul General of USA, congratulated the winners and said that Elihu Yale, the governor of Madras Presidency from 1687-92, made significant donations to fledgling educational institutions, ultimately leading to the set-up of Yale University, one of the most reputed institutions in the world.
“Yale will always be a symbol of the connection between Chennai and USA,” he remarked. Governor Elihu Yale, during his time as the Governor of Madras, was responsible for the establishment of Mayor’s Court, a precursor to the Corporation of Madras, said Burgess.