ThePrint ThePrintAM: What's the controversy over Galgotias university?
Feb 19, 2026
A controversy over claims about a university-developed AI tool sparks debate about authorship and attribution. Conflicting statements surface about whether a robot named Orion was created in-house or sourced internationally. Institutional apologies, damage-control remarks and official condemnations drive the story. Tensions spill into a tech summit, leading to public backlash and a stall eviction.
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Professor's Mistaken Claim At Summit
- Galgotias University formally blamed Professor Neha Singh for presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog as their own at the India AI Impact Summit.
- The university said Singh was ill-informed, unauthorised to speak to media, and mistakenly gave incorrect information in her enthusiasm.
Public Scrutiny Exposed Provenance Gap
- Social media users rapidly identified the robot as an off-the-shelf unitary go-to model costing around Rs 2–3 lakh.
- That public scrutiny exposed the gap between a summit presentation and actual provenance of exhibited tech.
Professor's Damage-Control Statement
- Professor Neha Singh later said her comments were misinterpreted and that she never intended to claim the university manufactured the robot.
- She claimed the robot was introduced to students to inspire them to create improved versions themselves.