MARIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL

— Hemraj Dass, Secretary-General & Co-Head of Journalism, IM-MUN, MPS, 2025 (Class 12, Humanities)

The 9th edition of the Intra Maria’s Model United Nations (IM-MUN) was held on May 3 and 4, 2025 marking a significant chapter in the school’s longstanding commitment to nurturing global citizenship through holistic educational experiences.

Now nearly a decade old, IM-MUN has emerged as one of the region’s most respected academic simulations, fostering intellectual inquiry, critical diplomacy, and youth engagement.

The 2025 edition featured five diverse committees:

1. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): In this committee the delegates examined the transnational implications of narcotics trafficking in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle, with particular focus on the porous and volatile Myanmar-India border. Regional cooperation and intelligence sharing were focal points in this high-stakes simulation.

2. United Nations Women (UN Women): In a sobering reflection on global gender dynamics, delegates grappled with how religious dogmatism in various socio-political contexts is curbing women’s rights, autonomy and leadership opportunities.

3. All India Political Parties Meet (AIPPM): This simulation of India’s domestic political spectrum offered delegates a platform to debate the constitutional, logistical and political ramifications of holding simultaneous national and state elections. Heated ideological clashes and rare bipartisan consensus highlighted the significance of the debate.

4. Indian Premier League (IPL): In a non-conventional departure from traditional MUN formats, the IPL committee simulated the 2025 auction season as a high-stakes arena of sports diplomacy. Delegates, representing franchises engaged in negotiations that blended brand management, player strategy and cricket lobbying showcasing how sport can serve as a microcosm for real-world diplomacy.

5. International Press Corps (IPC): Comprising subcommittees of Journalism, Photojournalism and Caricature this committee played a pivotal role in cataloging the conference’s narratives. From incisive reportage and evocative photography to satirical illustration, the Press Corps reflected both the tone and texture of the event’s discourse.

Beyond procedural decorum and policy debate, IM-MUN 2025 was defined by the intellectual rigour and globally-aware spirit of its participants. Every moderated caucus, every draft resolution and every press dispatch bore testament to the delegates’ commitment to understanding the world beyond them.

As the conference drew to a close, it stood as a powerful reaffirmation of Maria’s’ belief in education as a transformative force. Through IM-MUN, students didn’t just simulate diplomacy but hey lived its challenges, embodied its ethics and envisioned its possibilities.