Conferences that ask students to debate global issues are common. WPU GŌA is trying something narrower, and arguably harder.
On 27 October 2026, the university will bring together delegates from 36 different schools for India 36, a day-long assembly where each school does not pick a topic to champion. It gets handed a state or Union Territory to speak for instead.
The Idea Behind It
India is made up of 36 constituent units when you count every state and Union Territory together. WPU GŌA built its entire assembly around that number, assigning one participating school to each unit of the country.
The format takes cues from Model United Nations, where delegates write position papers, argue through formal procedure, negotiate amendments, and vote on resolutions, but the geography is domestic rather than international. A student assigned to Nagaland is not improvising an opinion. They are expected to research that state's actual circumstances and argue from inside them.
It is a small structural choice with a large effect: it forces the debate to stay grounded in specifics instead of drifting into generalities.
Why Assigning States Changes the Debate
Ask a room of students what India should do about climate policy, and you will likely get one broad answer repeated in different words.
Ask 36 students to answer that same question as representatives of 36 different states, and the conversation splits open. What counts as progress in Gujarat does not necessarily hold up in Assam. A governance model that suits Tamil Nadu may need rethinking entirely for Arunachal Pradesh. India 36 is built to surface exactly that friction, because a policy idea that cannot survive contact with India's actual diversity probably is not a very good policy idea.
That is also why WPU GŌA, a university headquartered in Goa but oriented toward national and global questions, chose to host something this specific rather than a broader, less demanding format.
The Three Committees
Delegates will be split across three faculty-led committees, each anchored to a live and unsettled question:
- Committee I, Regenerative Futures. Can states move away from growth models built on extraction, and what would that transition realistically look like?
- Committee II, Governance for Peace. What kind of governance lets a state deliver both development and social stability at once, especially during overlapping crises?
- Committee III, Technology and Human Dignity. As AI and digital infrastructure spread through Indian society, how do states make sure no community is left outside the benefits?
None of these are settled debates elsewhere in the world either. Students will be working through questions that policy researchers are still actively arguing about.
How the Day Unfolds
India 36 runs as a single, tightly structured day. Delegates go through two committee blocks, the first for open debate and caucusing, the second for drafting resolutions and voting, framed by an opening keynote and a closing awards ceremony recognising the strongest delegates, researchers, and speakers from each committee.
In between, there is a deliberate pause: a lunch session built for informal conversation with WPU GŌA faculty and current students, followed later by an open floor with all three committee chairs. It is less about ceremony and more about giving students an honest look at what a transdisciplinary university actually feels like day to day.
Teachers and counsellors accompanying delegates get a dedicated closing session too, covering WPU GŌA's programmes, the pathway from IBDP into university, and direct answers on admissions.
Eligibility and How to Join
India 36 is open exclusively to schools running the IB Diploma Programme. Each school selected can send:
- Three student delegates, from either year of the IBDP
- One accompanying teacher or counsellor
Only 36 spots exist in total, one per state and Union Territory, and selection leans toward schools with genuine engagement in debate, research, or civic work, alongside geographic spread across the country. A one-page position paper is required to lock in a confirmed seat.
Registrations have been open since 1 September 2026, at ₹1,500 per delegate. Schools handle their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Why WPU GŌA Is Hosting This
WPU GŌA does not teach subjects in isolation: economics, governance, and technology are treated as connected problems, not separate departments. India 36 is that same approach, just staged as a live debate instead of a classroom exercise. Sustainable growth, institutional resilience, and ethical technology are not three unrelated panels here. They are three angles on one question: what should India actually look like a decade from now?
For IBDP students already used to connecting ideas across subjects through their Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge work, India 36 offers a natural next step: real research, real argument, real stakes, against equally prepared peers from every part of the country.
Claim Your State's Seat
Spots are capped at 36 and filling on a rolling basis as schools register. Register your school now for committee study guides and procedural rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is India 36?
It is a national youth assembly hosted by WPU GŌA where 36 IB Diploma Programme schools each represent a different Indian state or Union Territory in formal policy debate.
Who is eligible to take part?
Any school in India offering the IB Diploma Programme can nominate up to three student delegates and one accompanying teacher or counsellor.
When and where does it happen?
27 October 2026, at WPU GŌA's campus in Goa.
What does it cost?
₹1,500 per delegate. Travel and accommodation are arranged independently by each school.
How does WPU GŌA choose the 36 schools?
Selection favours geographic spread across states and Union Territories, along with a school's history in debate, research, or civic engagement. A one-page position paper confirms a selected school's participation.
