The IGAR (East) delegation emerged as the Overall Champion at the Bystander Debate 2026 held at Rai Auditorium in Shillong on Wednesday, August 12. The Army Public Schools delegation was declared Runner-up.
Six student delegations from Assam Rifles Public Schools and Army Public Schools in Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura participated in the debate. The event was an initiative of Project Empathy, in collaboration with Assam Rifles Public Schools, and was conducted by Assam Rifles Public School (Sports), Laitkor.
The final featured two motions; “Silence in the face of bullying is as harmful as the bullying itself” and “In the age of social media, the bystander effect has been amplified, not reduced.”
The debating rounds saw students present their positions, followed by rebuttals in which participants responded to opposing arguments and defended their positions. An audience round, led by two student moderators, also brought participants and the audience into a discussion on bystander behaviour.
Assam Rifles Public School, Jorhat, presented a nukkad naatak titled Who Cares, which explored the transition from being a bystander to becoming an upstander.
The interaction between the judges and debaters also provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on their arguments and perspectives. Individual awards were presented to outstanding proponents, opponents and rebutters in the junior and senior segments.
Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera, AVSM, SM, Director General Assam Rifles, attended the concluding ceremony as the Chief Guest and felicitated the winners. He encouraged young people to develop the courage to stand up for others and speak up when circumstances demand it.
Vibha Lakhera, President ARWWA and founder of Project Empathy, delivered the concluding remarks and spoke about the initiative’s objectives and future direction.
The Bystander Debate is part of Project Empathy’s broader initiative to bring discussions on empathy, compassion and responsible human engagement into educational spaces.
