"False information will not be promoted..." Controversy that led to Galgotias University exclusion from AI expo

The lies by Galgotias University in Greater Noida have brought India into international disrepute. But the AI Summit, for which India worked so hard, sparked a new discussion about India's growing role in the AI sector and is even being called India's AI Moment, will that international summit be ruined simply because of a single university's lie?

AI models and tools, Galgotias University caused significant damage to India's image by claiming a Chinese robotic dog as its own.

Galgotias University is one of India's private universities that offers courses in Artificial Intelligence. A four-year B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will cost approximately 200,000 rupees per year, and four years of study will cost approximately 800,000 rupees.

There are numerous videos showing that every professor and student associated with this university was fully aware that this robotic dog was not developed by the university itself but was purchased from Unitree Robotics, a Chinese robotics company.

But despite this knowledge, Galgotias University professor Neha Singh stated verbatim that this robotic dog was developed by her university's Center of Excellence. Significantly, even when Chinese media refuted this claim and exposed Galgotias University's lies, the university did not acknowledge this lie in its official statement.

The university's management told several more lies to cover up their lie, claiming that the university never claimed to have created the robotic dog. Professor Neha Singh herself refused to admit her lie, claiming that her statement had been misinterpreted, which is not true.

A review of both of Professor Neha Singh's statements will reveal that she herself claimed the Chinese robotic dog was her university's robotic dog, and later told several more lies to cover up this lie.

The government also evacuated Galgotias University's pavilion from the summit and turned off its lights. However, the question arises: how did Galgotias University bring a Chinese-made robotic dog to the summit, and why didn't the government stop it? We are saying this because this was not a private summit. The Indian government is organizing this summit, and all the pavilions at Bharat Mandapam were set up for this summit. They must have obtained government permission at some level.

After the robotic dog, controversy also erupts over the thermocol drone

Following the uproar over the robotic dog at the AI Impact Summit, the video of Galgotias University's thermocol drone has also raised questions. People are questioning whether it is a genuine innovation or just a model for display. Many on social media have said that anyone can make it with a basic DIY kit.

Galgotias University has not yet issued a clear statement on the thermocol drone. Previously, the university clarified the robotic dog controversy, stating that the machine was intended as a learning tool for students, but made no claims of its own creation.

Galgotias University also embroiled in controversy over its soccer drone

Galgotias University has been embroiled in controversy over its soccer drone. It is being reported that the drone was manufactured in South Korea. However, a university professor has claimed that the university developed it entirely in-house.

What did the central government say about the controversy?

Regarding the question of vacating the stall at Galgotias University, S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said, "We want whatever people display at the expo to reflect genuine and authentic work. It's not intended to be used for any other purpose."

Students pay high fees to attend such private universities

You may be surprised to know that this university, currently located in Greater Noida near Delhi, had 8,000 students studying there in 2015, but by 2023-24, the number of students increased to 30,000. This number also increased because the placement rate at this university is considered to be 98 percent, which means that if 100 students are studying at this university, 98 of them will find jobs with the help of this university after completing their studies.

We're simply telling you that students pay high fees to attend such private universities only when they are assured of a good placement or see the potential for excellent infrastructure and education. The robotic dog purchased from China was also intended to attract students. The university created numerous videos of this robotic dog for its publicity, creating a sense of modernity and attracting more students to study there.

After this incident, we want to say only one thing: if India is to become a major contender in the field of AI, our government and our youth must work diligently to achieve this. We must improve our position in terms of innovation and research, and many major changes will have to be made.

Summary

Today, India ranks 38th in the Global Innovation Index, even though our country has the largest youth population in the world, and here we lag far behind even China. China ranks 10th in the same Global Innovation Index, France 13th, and Israel 14th, while the United States ranks third in terms of innovation.