Founded in 2011, Galgotias University (GU) is a NAAC A+ accredited private university located in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh (but is part of the National Capital Region (NCR) and is close to Delhi). With a student strength exceeding 30,000 and spread across a 52-acre campus, Galgotias has 20 schools offering over 200 programmes, including Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and PhD Programmes. Their website, which is very impressive, claims to be among India’s top universities. A cursory glance at GU’s website shows that its management is closely aligned with the ruling party and the state government of Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately for GU, it suddenly started grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In fact, it sparked one of the biggest meme-fests on social media and became the butt of some very nasty jokes and biting satire. What happened was that Galgotias University set up its stall at the AI Impact Summit 2026. Interacting with the media, GU’s Prof. Neha Singh, on camera, claimed that GU was the only university in India that had invested more than ₹350 crores in Artificial Intelligence. She then introduced a robot dog named “Orion”, claiming that this robot was built from start to finish at the university’s Centre of Excellence. This false narrative was quickly shattered when social media users and foreign media discovered that the robot dog was actually manufactured by a Chinese company and available in the market for a few thousand dollars.
It wasn’t a uniquely Indian invention or built by GU’s Centre of Excellence. The revelation that GU had blundered and falsely claimed that “Orion” was a “Make in India” product, when in fact it was a Chinese-made robot, broke the internet and triggered a nationwide media storm. The government was forced to back down and crack down on GU. The Union Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who had earlier shared a post on X that included visuals of “Orion” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, praising it as an example of India’s “sovereign models” performing well, immediately deleted the tweet. Galgotias University was ordered to pack its bags and was summarily dismissed from the AI Impact Summit.
Scapegoating to Escape Guilt
When the truth was revealed, Galgotias didn’t consider “where did we go wrong and how can we improve.” Instead, it focused solely on salvaging the reputation of the university. GU apologised but also placed the blame squarely on the professor – saying she was “ill-informed.” GU also stated that the lie wasn’t intentional but inadvertent. Meanwhile, Prof. Neha claimed that her statement had been misunderstood and that he had become overly enthusiastic. It would be utterly naïve of anyone to believe the version of the University. Can such specific information about your flagship product on display be given to the TV media in a fit of fervour and enthusiasm? The robot dog was given a new name, a new identity, and presented as a symbol of Indian innovation. These were decisions too significant for a single professor to make in front of a camera. These decisions were obviously made from the top, by senior figures within the university.
The entire fiasco exposed a mindset where three things were crucial: first, (sycophancy) impressing senior figures. Second, (courtier culture) fitting into the larger narrative being pushed by the government and media. Third, (institutional compliance) demonstrating that we are aligned with the government’s vision of “Viksit Bharat”. This episode is a textbook case of what can go wrong when an institution like a university is constantly pressured to demonstrate loyalty to the government or powerful individuals.
Media, Power, and the Rewarding of Loyalty
Another crucial yet uncomfortable aspect to this entire controversy is the role of the media. Large universities like the IITs and IISc, conducting significant research, were also present at the summit. Yet, Galgotias University received disproportionate coverage and attention. This raises the obvious question: why? Over the years, GU has developed deep relationships with major media outlets. They have invested in, or provided sponsorship for, major events. And prominent figures within the university have consistently aligned themselves with the government’s thinking and ideology. Obviously, it was a deliberate business strategy.
The most vivid tale about GU’s sycophancy is its “fake” students rally. In 2024, when the general elections were approaching, news emerged that students from Galgotias University were sent to an anti-Congress rally. They stood there holding banners and posters and chanting anti-Congress slogans. When journalists asked the students what they were protesting against, they were unable to answer properly. They stammered and stumbled. It means, the students didn’t go there voluntarily or with any strong conviction. They were used by GU to demonstrate GU’s loyalty to the ruling party. GU spoke the language of the government and hence received media coverage and praise. But the same media trolled Galgotias University very badly when it was no longer in the “good books” of the government.
Cost to Education, Ethics, and Public Good
The most worrying aspect of this entire matter is that this incident exposes the state of our higher education. The real problem isn’t just bogus claims about a robotic dog, it is the direction our universities are heading. Commercialisation of education means universities are gradually being used as event halls and advertising shops. Whereas the true function of a university should be deep thinking, hard study, and genuine research. This work is being left behind.
Three things are happening in this environment. First, professors are under pressure to be visible, to be in the news, to be part of the spectacle. Second, students are being used for rallies and events, for their University to look aligned with the government. Third, senior university officials are more concerned with conforming to the government’s ideology than with the quality of education. This culture of showmanship and sycophancy is eroding the moral foundation of education from within.
When a university or institution abandons the pursuit of knowledge and seeks to be closer only to the powerful, it betrays its responsibility to society. That AI summit also featured genuine and useful Indian innovations such as equipment for hospitals, technology to help farmers, and tools that work in Indian languages. But all of this was overshadowed by the drama and spectacle created by the Galgotian blunder. “As you sow, so shall you reap.” It is high time to reflect on this timeless axiom.