There was, for a considerable period of time, a very lively and extensively practiced tradition of formal debates in ancient India.
[1] The corpus of knowledge on conducting a successful debate was referred to as vādavidyā and several manuals dealing with this discipline had been produced.
By the third and second century BCE, monks and priests were required to have a training in the art of conducting a successful debate.
In the third part, called Vimanasthana, along with other topics such as, training of a physician, ethics of medical practice, pathology, diet and nourishment, taste of medicines, etc., there is also a discussion on the principles of debate.
The related doctrines are treated in Caraka-samhita under three heads, namely, 1) Karyabhinirvrtti, the aggregate of resources for the accomplishment of an action (2) Pariksa, the standard of examination, and (3) Sambhasha-vidhi, or vada-vidhi, the method of debate.
These standards are aptopadesa (reliable assertion) pratyaksa (perception), anumana (inference), yukti (reasoning).
In addition, the debater can use, for the establishment of his own position and for the refutation of the opponent's thesis, such means as quibbling, illegitimate rejoinders and any kind of clincher.
In other words, the debater here tries to ensure victory simply by refuting the thesis put forward by the other side.
They may spend years in university studying debate as part of their education, and learning how to be precise and logical with their arguments.
[9] The defender sits and offers formulaic responses, while the challenger stands and asks questions, which are punctuated by a clap at the end.