LCS Student Parliament Holds First Session for Academic Year 2026–27

Mangaluru, July 15: The first session of the LCS Student Parliament for the academic year 2026–27 was held on July 15 with dignity, discipline, and professionalism, reflecting the values of democracy, responsible leadership, and student participation.

The session commenced with the ceremonial entry of the dignitaries, following which Gauthami, the Marshal, invited the gathering to stand in their honour. The programme began with the singing of the National Anthem. Head Boy Karma Patel and Head Girl Sharvi Shetty extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries, judges, teachers, Student Council members, and students.

The proceedings were formally declared open by the Speaker, Seanna Milvia Rodrigues. The Sports Minister, Pareekshith U.P., administered the Parliamentary Oath, while Secretary Aadhya P. Shetty presented a report on the Investiture Ceremony held on June 12, 2026.

The House then entered an engaging Question Hour, during which members of both the ruling party and the opposition deliberated on issues concerning leadership, accountability, student welfare, environmental responsibility, discipline, digital citizenship, school infrastructure, and inclusivity. Members responded confidently and thoughtfully, displaying excellent preparation and parliamentary decorum.

The House also debated and passed two important bills—the House Championship Bill and the L.I.N.K. (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, reflecting the school’s spirit of unity in diversity.

During the discussions, Shivani raised concerns regarding the fairness of the House Championship in view of 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 regarding the confidentiality of complaints under the L.I.N.K. Bill and the involvement of parents. The ruling party assured the House that complaints would be handled confidentially by a trustworthy committee while recognising parents as vital partners in the well-being of every student.

Layyah Naseema Ifthikar questioned the school’s preparedness for natural disasters. In response, the ruling party explained the school’s existing fire safety measures, evacuation drills, disaster management procedures, and availability of essential safety equipment.

Following the parliamentary proceedings, the judges shared their observations. Linette Pereira, Academic Coordinator (KG Section), described the session through the “Three Ds”—Dignity, Decorum, and Discipline. She commended the confidence and maturity displayed by the participants and reminded them that parliamentary debates should never be taken personally.

Suneetha K, Academic Coordinator for Grades V to VIII, appreciated the multilingual approach, the quality of research reflected in the questions and bills, and the professionalism exhibited throughout the session. She expressed confidence that many of the participants would one day represent the nation in legislative assemblies and Parliament.

Delivering the Presidential Address, Rev. Fr. Johnson L. Sequeira appreciated the remarkable improvement in the quality of the Student Parliament over the years and rated the programme 10 out of 10. He praised the excellent organisation, systematic conduct, multilingual presentations, and the spirit of unity in diversity. Appreciating both the House Championship Bill and the L.I.N.K. Bill, he reiterated that the Student Council functions as a representative body working alongside the school administration for the welfare of students. He also assured the House that concerns regarding disaster preparedness and the imbalance in house strength would be carefully addressed through future initiatives.

The programme concluded with the Vote of Thanks proposed by Deputy Head Boy Sanjeet S. Anchan and Deputy Head Girl M. Dhanvi H. Rai, who expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. The Speaker announced that the next Parliamentary Session would be held on November 28, 2026, after which the House was adjourned. The programme concluded with the rendition of the National Song, Vande Mataram.