PRAVAAH 3.0 was a one-day, committee-style forum, held under the tagline “Where Ideas Flow Like Ganga”, in which students represented countries and debated how the world can accelerate sustainable development. The agenda, “Strengthening International Cooperation for Sustainable and Inclusive Development”, was kept deliberately broad so delegates could approach it from their own national perspective. The event was beginner-friendly, with online and offline preparation sessions held beforehand.
Two committees ran side by side. The Economic & Social Development Council (ESDC) was the main committee, with 30 country delegations. The International Press (15 places) documented the event independently through journalists, photographers and caricaturists.
After the opening ceremony and roll call, delegates stated their countries’ positions in the General Speakers’ List. Moderated caucuses followed on financing sustainable development, inclusive growth and social development, climate action and resource management, and technology and innovation. Delegates then formed coalitions, each drafting three Common Commitments (problem, proposed action, implementation strategy and expected impact) and pitching them to the Executive Board. The day closed with a 20-minute Press Q&A, in which journalists questioned delegates on their countries’ positions, followed by the closing ceremony. Press members later submitted written reports, photo portfolios and caricatures.
Students gained first-hand experience of country representation, policy debate and diplomatic negotiation, and nearly every delegate presented their country’s perspective in the discussions. Coalitions worked together to produce practical, policy-oriented Common Commitments on sustainable development, which were presented to the Executive Board. The International Press built a creative record of the event through news reports, photo portfolios and caricatures. Overall, participants strengthened their research, public speaking, critical thinking, negotiation and teamwork skills.
Awards: In the ESDC, Best Delegate went to Norway (Reet Garg), Best Verbal Mention to South Africa (Pranav Goel) and High Commendation to the Netherlands (Shaurya Gupta). In the International Press, Naitik Jindal won Best Journalist, Divya Sanduja Best Photographer and Simran Rana Best Caricaturist.