The Online Debate Series is brought to you by The Harvard India Conference. It’s a prelude to our flagship event, and aims to provide a platform for leading voices in India to engage in civil debates, promote intellectual diversity, and curate thought-provoking discussions that inform and inspire. The debates will feature eminent speakers who will engage in traditional Oxford-style debates and where the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions and vote for their winner.

Debate 1 - "Have Electoral Bonds ushered in an era of transparency in political funding in India?".

Introduced in 2017 as a reform to election finance, USD 800 million worth of bonds have already been purchased and channeled into political parties. BJP leader Baijayant 'Jay' Panda believes the move has been a game-changer, while the Congress' Rajeev Gowda is skeptical. Moderated by renowned academic and South Asian politics expert Milan Vaishnav, the debate promises a better understanding of election financing in India.