Galgotias University AI Summit row: Registrar defends institution, says Professor Neha Singh not suspended amid probe

Galgotias University Registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur on Thursday defended the institution and confirmed that Professor Neha Singh, who presented a Chinese robodog as the university’s own at the AI Impact Summit, has not been suspended pending the completion of the investigation.

Singh, a professor of communications, while speaking to DD News this week, stated, “You need to meet Orion. This has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University.” This led to controversy, with many on social media identifying that the robot was actually a Chinese-made Unitree Go2 rather than an original, in-house development.

What did Galgotias University Registrar say?

“She is not suspended and has been told to stay… Until the complete investigation is done as to why such a mistake has been committed, such proceedings will continue… Because of one person’s wrongdoing, the entire university should not be questioned… We are also citizens of India, and we definitely want our country to move forward,” ANI quoted Gaur as saying.

He stated that the university has already provided its explanation regarding the incident, acknowledging it as a mistake and expressing regret. He emphasised that neither the reputation of the university nor that of the country should be harmed.

The university has withdrawn its stall from the India AI Impact Summit and will conduct a thorough investigation to determine how the error occurred, taking steps to ensure similar issues do not happen in the future, Gaur mentioned. He noted that it would be unacceptable if a single mistake were allowed to tarnish the institution’s image.

Opposition slams govt, calls the incident ‘shame’

Congress leader Pawan Khera took aim at the government over the “robodog” incident at the AI Impact Summit. In a post on X, he claimed that the event, which was meant to be a platform for AI innovation and exchange of ideas, had been reduced to a “cheap China Bazaar”. Khera also hit out at Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, suggesting that in India, AI now stands for “Ashwini is Incompetent”, and described the summit as turning into a “Jhappi-Pappi Fest,” attaching a video highlighting his criticisms.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi described the incident at the AI Summit as a “shame,” emphasising the significant damage caused. She criticised Galgotias University for presenting a Chinese robot as its own invention. Chaturvedi added that the controversy could have been avoided had a thorough credibility check of participating companies, universities, and start-ups been conducted before allotting pavilions.

“The damage this has caused for India and the Summit is big. Asking the university to vacate their pavilion was a good step, I feel some strict penalty must also be imposed on them,” she stated.

IT Secretary S Krishnan reacts

Following the row, IT Secretary S Krishnan stressed that the government does not want any exhibitor to present items that are not genuinely their own. He noted that organisers had asked Galgotias University to vacate its stall to prevent misleading displays and avoid potential controversies, as per PTI.

The India AI Impact Summit, a five-day event, which got extended for one more day, is built around three core pillars, or “Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress. The Summit unites policymakers, technology firms, innovators, academia, and industry leaders, aiming to convert global AI discussions into practical development outcomes under the IndiaAI Mission and the Digital India initiative.