First propaganda, then damage control: How Galgotias University walked back its claim over robodog row | India News

NEW DELHI: Galgotius University on Wednesday issued an apology and went into damage control, placing the entire blame on the professor who was tasked with managing the pavilion, after a massive controversy erupted over his false claims surrounding the ongoing display of ‘in-house innovation’ at his booths. AI Impact Summit 2026. University professor in apology Neha SinghThe person in charge of its pavilion was “unidentified”, and “did not know the technical origin of the product” on display. The press release accused him of being overly enthusiastic in front of the camera and talking to the media, even though he was not authorized to speak to the press.The apology came in stark contrast to earlier statements by Galgotius, in which the university had categorically termed the incident as a “propaganda campaign” against the institute, later saying it never said it had developed or claimed to have developed robotic dogs, and emphasized its focus on student learning through exposure to advanced global technology.

In its initial statement after the controversy broke, the university emphasized that it did not create or claim to have robotic dogs and highlighted its focus on student education.“Let us be clear – Galgotius did not create this robodog, nor do we claim to. But what we are creating are the minds that will soon design, engineer and build such technology here in India. Innovation knows no boundaries. Neither should learning. We will continue to source the best technology from around the world, so that our students can challenge them, solve them and improve the world. From India for the world.“The university maintained that exposure to global technology was part of its academic mission and the robot was meant for students to learn and experiment.

Second response: ‘propaganda campaign’ accusations

In a subsequent statement, the university stepped up its defense, alleging that it was being targeted.“We at Galgotius, faculty and students, are deeply saddened by the disinformation campaign against our university. We want to clearly state that robotic programming is part of our efforts to help students learn Al programming and develop and deploy real-world skills using tools and resources available globally, because Al talent development is the need of the hour.”

Professor explains: ‘I take responsibility’

Professor Neha Singh, who was representing the university at the summit, later issued her own explanation.“The debate happened because things were not clearly expressed. I take responsibility that maybe I didn’t communicate it properly, since it was done with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and very quickly, so I don’t usually come across as eloquent. Also, the purpose was not properly understood. An important point is that we cannot build robots. I told everyone that we introduced it to inspire our students to create something better than themselves. Our university contributes to creating future leaders by providing cutting-edge technologies in the field of AI and will continue to do so.”

Latest reaction: ‘Representatives were clueless’

In the apology, the university disclaimed any responsibility and blamed its faculty for providing “materially incorrect information.”“We at Galgotius University, would like to deeply apologize for the confusion caused by the recent Al Summit. One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was unidentified. He was not aware of the technical origin of the product and in his enthusiasm to be on camera he actually gave false information even though he was not authorized to speak to the press,” the statement said.The apology states that the incident was not an intentional act, not clarifying any “institutional intent” behind the “misrepresentation” of the invention.It said, “We ask for your kind understanding as there was no institutional intention to misrepresent this invention. Galgotius University is strongly committed to academic integrity, transparency and responsible representation of our work. Understanding the sentiments of the organizers, we have vacated the premises.”

What about queues?

Controversy erupted after the robotic dog displayed at the university’s stall was identified as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available quadrupedal robot that sells for around Rs 2-3 lakh in India and is manufactured by Chinese robotics firm Unitree.Critics alleged that the robot was presented at the summit as a university-made product, raising questions about showcasing imported technology at a national AI event meant to highlight indigenous innovation.After intense scrutiny, the AI ​​summit’s Galgotius University pavilion was cut off after the power expo was asked to vacate.Later, another product claimed to be a “soccer drone arena” that was an in-house invention of the university turned out to be false, as many on social media highlighted its similarities to an already marketed South Korean product called the ‘Striker V3 ARF’.

What is the queue trigger?

Prof. Neha Singh, while presenting the robot earlier, told DD News, “We are the first private university to invest over Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence and we have a dedicated data science and artificial intelligence block in our campus. So Orion is developed by the Center of Excellence and as you can see, it can take all shapes and sizes.”“It’s quite mischievous. It’s quite mischievous and it can perform small tasks of surveillance, monitoring,” he added.

The opposition responded

The controversy has drawn strong reactions from opposition leaders. Congress X said: “Modi govt has made India laughing stock globally with AI. Ongoing AI summit is showing Chinese robots as our own. Chinese media has satirized us. It is really embarrassing for India. More shameful is Modi’s minister. Ashwini Vaishnav India is indulging in the same lie by promoting Chinese robots at summits.”“The Modi government has done irreparable damage to the country’s image – they have reduced AI to a joke – an area where we can be world leaders with our data power,” it added.Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called the summit a “disorganized public relations show”. In a post on X, he said, “Instead of harnessing India’s talent and data, the AI ​​Summit is a disorganized PR exhibition – Indian data for sale, Chinese products on display.”