Lead story
Delhi student takes India’s case to the world stage
From the debate floor in Shanghai to peer-reviewed legal research, Smyan Bansal is building a case for a life in law.
By the Brief Staff · New Delhi
Smyan Bansal, a Humanities student at GD Goenka Flagship School in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, has been selected for Team India at the 2026 World Schools Debating Championships in Shanghai — the world’s leading international schools debating championship.
A prospective law undergraduate, Bansal’s interests lie in public law, international law and the regulation of artificial intelligence. He is a published author of peer-reviewed research in the International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, and has gained practical exposure through legal internships at Trilegal and EY.
On the Model UN circuit he has won more than 40 awards across around 50 conferences, including Yale MUN, and served as Secretary-General of GDGIMUN, an international conference of 600+ delegates. He says his aim is to use advocacy, research and leadership to widen access to education and opportunity.