Surat (Gujarat) [India], September 21: Sarvajanik University, in collaboration with Rotary District 3060 and Rotary Club of Surat West, successfully organized the Final Live Online Pitch Competition on “AI for Social Good & Peace Building” on 20 September 2026. The initiative provided a dynamic platform for students and young innovators to showcase how Artificial Intelligence can be harnessed to address pressing social challenges and contribute towards a safer, more inclusive and peaceful society.
The competition received an encouraging response, with 55 idea submissions involving 152 participants from 18 institutions across the country. The Phase-I screening evaluated the ideas on parameters including relevance to the theme, social need, innovation, AI integration, feasibility, scalability, social impact, peace-building contribution and clarity of the proposal.
The Final Round featured seven shortlisted teams, who delivered excellent and highly engaging presentations before the jury. The presentations reflected the creativity, social sensitivity and innovative thinking of the participating students. The proposed solutions addressed diverse areas such as misinformation and peacebuilding, preventive safety and mobility, healthcare and accessibility, communication for persons with disabilities, support for workers, education for the underprivileged, and access to government welfare schemes.
The event commenced with a welcome and introduction to Sarvajanik University and the Sarvajanik University Innovation and Incubation Centre (SU-IIC), followed by an introduction to Rotary, Rotary Peace and Rotary Club of Surat West. The programme was graced by Rtn. Nilesh Shah, Rotary District Governor; and Past District Governor Devendra Shashtri.
Dr. Dipali Kasat, Director, SUIIC, Sarajanik University and PP Rtn. Shilpa Shah, Club Service Project Chair and Rotary Peacebuilding Fellowships Chair, District 3060 were the jury who appreciated the quality of the ideas and the confidence with which the teams presented their solutions. The final presentations provided an opportunity to explore not only the conceptual strength of ideas but also their technical feasibility, practical implementation, scalability, sustainability, ethical considerations and potential social impact.
The successful conduct of the competition was made possible through the strong support, encouragement and guidance of Shri Ashish Vakil, President, Sarvajanik University; Dr. Kiran Pandya, Provost, Sarvajanik University; and Rtn. Dr. Vijay Shah, President, Rotary Club of Surat West; and PP Rtn. Shilpa Shah, Club Service Project Chair and Rotary Peacebuilding Fellowships Chair, District 3060. Their shared commitment to promoting innovation, youth participation, social responsibility and peacebuilding transformed the initiative into a meaningful platform for young minds to present technology-driven solutions for societal good.
The online event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 50+ attendees. The overall programme was successfully coordinated by Rtn. Dr. Hemlata Agarwal, Project Chair, Rotary Club of Surat West, and Dr. Ranjan Sabhaya, Co-Coordinator, SSIP Cell, Sarvajanik University, whose coordinated efforts contributed significantly to the smooth and successful conduct of the programme.
The event concluded on a positive note with appreciation for all the participating teams, mentors, jury members, coordinators and volunteers whose collective efforts contributed to the success of the initiative. The competition demonstrated that AI can extend beyond technological innovation to become a powerful enabler of inclusion, safety, accessibility, social harmony and sustainable societal development.
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