PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
A total of 60 meritorious students, selected from the remote hilly and rural areas of 13 districts of Uttarakhand, are participating now in the Digital Catalyst Program 2026 launched at UPES, Dehradun. This programme is being organised by Kalpavriksha Sustainable Development Society, with institutional support from UPES-CSR and technical support from Efiwe AI India Pvt Ltd.
The organisers claimed that the students in coming days will learn future-defining skills such as AI literacy, digital skills, computational thinking, design thinking, responsible use of AI, communication and social-startup thinking. They added that the programme’s unique feature is that learning here is not just theoretical, but entirely practical and project-based. Divided into teams, students will identify real-life problems in their village, town or community, understand them in depth and develop simple, AI-assisted digital prototypes to solve them.
The founder and president of Kalpavriksha Sustainable Development Society, Abhinav Negi inaugurated the programme. Addressing the students, he said that this is not just a platform to learn AI or technology, but a holistic journey of realising one’s hidden potential, understanding the real problems of society and creating solutions by using technology responsibly. “No matter what the starting level is, with the right guidance, consistent practice and strong self-belief, every student can become a capable and responsible learner in the AI-era,” he added.
A former DCP 2025 participant, who is joining the programme this year as a trainer, Anant Badoni explained how last year’s DCP proved to be a transformative experience for him—one that changed both his thinking and direction.
Danish Nazar, from the department of Extension and Outreach Activities at UPES, provided information about the higher education opportunities available at UPES, the admission process, and scholarship opportunities, giving the students a positive and broad perspective on their future careers.
