Media Release
Mangaluru, Jul 20: The first session of the Lourdes Central School (LCS) student Parliament for the academic year 2026–27 was conducted on July 15 with remarkable dignity, discipline, and professionalism, reflecting the true spirit of democracy and responsible leadership.
The session commenced with entry of the dignitaries followed by Gauthami, the marshal inviting everyone to stand in honour of the dignitaries. The National Anthem was sung with fervour in the beginning of the session. The honourable head boy, Karma Patel, and the head girl, Sharvi Shetty, then extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries, judges, teachers, Student Council members, and students.
The session was formally declared open by the speaker, Seanna Milvia Rodrigues, after which the honourable sports minister, Pareekshith U P, administered the parliamentary oath. The honourable secretary, Aadhya P Shetty, presented a brief report on the investiture ceremony held on June 12, marking the official commencement of the proceedings.
The house then entered an engaging question hour, during which members of both the ruling party and the opposition deliberated on issues related to leadership, accountability, student welfare, environmental responsibility, discipline, digital citizenship, school infrastructure, and inclusivity. The participants responded confidently and thoughtfully, demonstrating excellent preparation and presence of mind.
The house also debated and successfully passed two important bills—the House Championship Bill and the LINK (Lourdes Initiative for Net Kindness) Bill. A notable highlight of the session was the use of multiple languages, including English, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Konkani, and others, beautifully reflecting the school's spirit of unity in diversity.
Among the key discussions, Shivani questioned the fairness of the house championship considering the unequal strength of the four houses. Manuel Jince Chacko and Sharvi Shetty clarified that points would be awarded section-wise to ensure fairness. Uzair Abdul Qadeer sought clarification on the confidentiality of complaints under the LINK Bill and the role of parents. The ruling party assured the House that complaints would be handled confidentially by a trustworthy committee while recognising parents as essential partners in every student's well-being. Layyah Naseema Ifthikar raised concerns regarding the school's preparedness for natural disasters, to which the ruling party outlined the existing fire safety measures, evacuation drills, disaster management procedures, and availability of essential safety equipment.
Following the proceedings, the honourable judges shared their observations. Linette Pereira, the academic coordinator KG section described the session through the ‘Three Ds’ — Dignity, Decorum, and Discipline — and praised the confidence and maturity of the participants while reminding them that parliamentary debates should never be taken personally. Suneetha K, the academic coordinator grades V to VIII appreciated the multilingual approach, the quality of research reflected in the questions and bills, and the professionalism displayed throughout the session. She also expressed her hope that many of the participants would one day represent the nation in legislative assemblies and Parliament.
The presidential address was delivered by Fr Johnson L Sequeira, who appreciated the remarkable improvement in the quality of the parliamentary session over the years and rated the programme 10/10. He commended the excellent organisation, systematic conduct, multilingual presentations, and the spirit of unity in diversity. Appreciating both the House Championship Bill and the LINK Bill, he reiterated that the student council serves as a representative and suggestive body working alongside the school administration for the welfare of students. He also acknowledged the concerns regarding disaster preparedness and the imbalance in house strength, assuring the House that these matters would be carefully addressed through future initiatives.
The programme concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by the honourable deputy head boy, Sanjeet S Anchan, and the honourable deputy head girl, M Dhanvi H Rai, expressing gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. The speaker then announced that the next parliamentary session would be held on November 28, 2026, after which the house was adjourned. The programme came to a fitting close with the rendition of the National Song, Vande Mataram.