Middle School Ethics Olympiad - India Regional Event

The day runs as four heats in Zoom breakout rooms, each pairing two teams with a moderating judge. The first heat is a practice round and is not scored; the remaining heats count. In each heat a coin toss sets which team presents first, the judge reads out the case question, and the presenting team gets two minutes to confer and five minutes to present. The opposing team takes one minute to confer and three minutes to give its commentary, then the presenting team takes one minute to confer and three minutes to reply. The judge then questions the presenting team for seven minutes, during which the team may ask for a thirty second private conference. Roles swap for a second case and the sequence repeats. Scores from the counting heats are totalled after the event and results reach coaches within a day.

Each scored heat is marked out of 60 points. The presenting team earns up to 15 points for its opening presentation, split evenly across three questions: whether the presentation clearly and systematically addressed the question asked, whether it identified and thoroughly discussed the central moral dimensions of the case, and whether it showed awareness and thoughtful consideration of opposing viewpoints. The responding team earns up to 10 points for how directly and insightfully it engages the presenting team's argument, with marks lost for merely asking a series of questions. The presenting team earns a further 15 points for its reply to that commentary and 15 points for its answers to the judge's questions. A final 5 points go to each team for respectful, collaborative discussion rather than combative debate, with the lowest band reserved for teams that are dismissive of the other side.