Equity Policy Document

1.1 Purpose

This Equity Policy is instituted by the SMVIT Debating Society to ensure a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for all individuals participating in any activities organized, facilitated, or affiliated with the Society.

This Policy operates as a foundational instrument of governance for the internal conduct of the Society's members and participants, and applies uniformly without exception. The Policy is predicated on the principle that debating, as an intellectual pursuit, must remain free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or any conduct that undermines the dignity or equitable participation of any individual.

1.2 Background and Principles

The Society recognizes that inter-personal dynamics within competitive and academic spaces are often shaped by pre-existing social structures and inequities. This Policy is rooted in the following principles:

2.1 Applicability

This Policy applies to all persons involved with the SMVIT Debating Society, including members, adjudicators, trainers, guest speakers, committee members, volunteers, and external participants.

2.2 Temporal and Situational scope

The provisions of this Policy shall be deemed to apply to any and all situations, occurrences, events, and communications where:

• The activity is conducted, facilitated, or endorsed by the Society;
• The individual is participating in an event, meeting, or initiative organised by the Society, whether in-person or virtual;
• The context pertains to the Society’s internal operations;
• Communication between members or with third parties occurs within Society-related platforms;
• The nature of the interaction is reasonably construed to fall under the purview of SMVIT DebSoc, even where not conducted within formal timeframes or venues.

All individuals subject to this Policy shall refrain from engaging in any form of conduct that constitutes a breach of equity principles. Prohibited behaviors include, but are not limited to:

3.2 Protected Attributes

For the purposes of this Policy, “protected attributes” shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

4.1 Informal Resolution Mechanism

The informal resolution mechanism is designed to address concerns that may not require a full investigative process but nonetheless merit attention to prevent escalation or repetition. It is a voluntary, non-adversarial, and educationally-oriented process aimed at achieving mutual understanding, accountability, and closure.

Upon receiving a concern informally—verbally or in writing—any Equity Officer may initiate the following steps:

• Initial Confidential Discussion
• Consultation with Respondent
• Restorative Dialogue
• Educational Measures
• Private Resolution with Monitoring

4.2 Formal Complaint Procedures

Where the conduct in question involves serious harm, repetition, power imbalance, or where informal resolution is inappropriate, the Equity Committee shall invoke the formal complaint procedure, consisting of the following stages:

1. Submission and Receipt
2. Preliminary Assessment
3. Investigation
4. Deliberation and findings
5. Resolution Measures