Bengaluru (PTI): A grieving single mother’s decision to donate the organs of her son, who tragically lost his life following a road accident on March 15, helped save six lives.

Rekha Rao, a resident of Rajaji Nagar, said her 33-year-old son, Rakesh Kumar S, wanted to meet his friend on that fateful day, but his two-wheeler skidded and fell, the severity of head and facial injuries rendering him unconscious immediately. Passersby took him to a local hospital, she added.

Rao, who had lost her husband 25 years ago, said despite her numbing grief, she wanted to do the right thing by Rakesh. “I find some comfort knowing that the decision to donate his organs will give others a chance to live,” Rao told PTI.

She said after being denied a bed in ICU in Nimhans, where she was advised to take her son, she had finally got him shifted to Apollo Hospital in Seshadripuram.

“But I was told that his brain eventually gave up on him,” she added.

His attending neurosurgeons from Apollo -- Dr B Ravi Mohan Rao and Dr Karthikeyan Y R -- said the severe head and face injuries increased pressure on his brain, causing significant complications, including a shift in part of his brain, and resulting in an extremely low level of consciousness, indicating a critical condition.

Despite prompt medical intervention and the dedicated efforts of the hospital's medical team, his condition deteriorated.

After confirming the patient’s brain death through multiple apnea tests, Rao was given the option of organ donation, said the doctors.

“We are honoured to have played a role in this life-saving process. Each of these generous donations will make a profound difference for patients in need of critical organ transplants, offering new hope and life-saving treatments,” said Dr Rao.

He also pointed out that according to the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) report, there are more than 4,000 patients in Bengaluru who are waiting for organ transplants.

"Donation will significantly contribute to saving lives and addressing the critical shortage of available organs for those in need,” he added.

As for Rakesh, his liver and two kidneys were transplanted at Apollo Hospitals, Seshadripuram, providing life-saving treatments to patients with liver and kidney failure, said Dr Karthikeyan.

His corneas were donated to restore sight to individuals suffering from blindness or severe vision impairment and his heart valves have already been used in heart valve replacement surgery and his skin was donated to Victoria Hospital, where it has been used in the treatment of burn victims and patients requiring skin grafts to aid in their recovery, he added.

Incidentally, Rakesh, worked as an engineer in the next-gen health care field.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi: A Noida-based private University, Galgotias has come under severe criticism after allegedly showcasing a china-made robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Social media users accused the university of purchasing a commercial robot from China and presenting it as its own creation at the summit.

Reports claimed that the university showcased the Unitree Go2 robotic dog, an AI-powered device available on Chinese platforms for Rs 2–3 lakh, under the name “Orion” during the event in New Delhi.

“So Galgotia university purchased a commercially available robot worth Rs 2.5 lakhs, called it their own and passed it off in the Delhi AI Summit as a part of their 350 crore AI ecosystem..I literally have no words left,” wrote ‘X’ user Roshan Rai, sharing a video in which a DD News reporter interviewed a university official about the robotic dog.

The viral post claimed that the robot closely resembles Unitree Go2, a quadruped robotic dog developed by Chinese company Unitree Robotics.

Screenshots attached to the post compared the robot displayed at the summit with the Unitree Go2 listing, priced at roughly 2,800 dollars (around Rs 2.3–2.5 lakhs).

According Unitree Robotics, The Unitree Go2 is widely used as a programmable quadruped robot for research, education, inspection, and development purposes, and is a common learning platform in universities and robotics labs worldwide.

Several users reiterated the claim.

Government of India funds for filing patents

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about alleged misuse of government funds.

User @sky_phd highlighted, “Galgotias University is once again in the spotlight. Under the guise of research and innovation, they are raking in plenty of money.”

The user claimed that the university took money under government funds, and wrote, “The Government of India provides incentive funding of up to five lakh rupees for filing patents.”

“To understand the patent filing process and the games being played with it, take a look at the list of top Indian institutions filing patents. All the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) together file only 803 patents, while institutions like Lovely Professional University, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Galgotias University, and Teerthanker Mahaveer University have filed more than a thousand patents each,” the user wrote, sharing a chart of patent filings by these universities.

“The basic international patent filing fee is $285–400. Through patent filings alone, these institutions are reportedly earning more than fifty crore rupees annually. However, while these universities file patents, they often do not pursue them further, and most patents ultimately do not get granted. This inflates filing numbers but does not reflect real innovation or recognized intellectual property,” the user added.

Another user pointed out about the selection criteria of the summit. The user questioned, “What exactly was the selection criteria for participation in this AI summit? .”

“Platforms meant to showcase India’s innovation should represent genuine research, original ideas, and credible institutions. So how did Galgotias University qualify to display a Chinese-made robot and present it as its own “innovation”? If true, this isn’t just embarrassing, it undermines the credibility of the entire summit and of India’s growing tech ecosystem. At a time when India is trying to position itself as a global AI and deep-tech leader, showcasing repackaged imports as indigenous innovation only damages trust. If we want the world to take India’s AI ambitions seriously, transparency and authenticity must come first,” the user added.

 

University clarifies after backlash

In response to the criticism, Galgotias University issued a clarification, stating that it “never claimed to have built the device” and that the robot was procured from a Chinese manufacturer for academic purposes.

“Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies in Bharat," the university said.

The university in its statement also pointed out that the Unitree Go2 is being used as a learning tool for students.

“From the US to China and Singapore, we bring advanced technologies to campus because exposure creates vision, and vision creates creators. The robodog is actively being used by students to test capabilities and explore real-world applications,” the university added.

University professor claims “it's developed by the Center of Excellence at the Galgotias University.”

In another video captured by DD News, a reporter showcased the Galgotias University pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

At the pavilion, the reporter spoke with the university professor about the technology on display.

The professor introduced the robot, saying, “This is Orion. You need to meet Orion. It has been developed by the Center of Excellence at Galgotias University.”

She added, “I would also like to brief you about Galgotias University. We are the first private university investing more than Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence and have a dedicated data science and AI lab on campus.”

“Orion has been developed by our Center of Excellence. It can take all shapes and sizes and is quite playful. It can perform small tasks such as surveillance and monitoring. It can even execute movements like moonwalks and somersaults,” she explained.

She also claimed that, “This is India’s first iOS lab in North India at a university, giving our students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.”

Reacting to the video social media users ridiculed the 350 cr rupees investment compared to the china made robo dog.

Past Controversies of the University

This is not the first time the university is in controversy. In May 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, a video went viral showing students protesting outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi against the party’s manifesto. The footage, captured by Aaj Tak, showed students struggling to articulate the purpose of their protest, raising questions about the demonstration’s intent.

Earlier, in 2017, students protested against the university management after being barred from appearing in exams due to low attendance, with allegations that fines were requested to allow attendance, a claim denied by the administration.