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Bengaluru, Apr 10 (PTI): Alleging that the menace of commission was now more than the previous BJP government, the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) on Thursday claimed that "unseen hands and brokers" were active in the offices of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and two other senior Cabinet Ministers.

KSCA president R Manjunath said "brokers" were active in Shivakumar's office and he also alleged interference by one relative of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi in the affairs concerning his department.

He further claimed that Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju's son (Ravi Boseraju) "makes all the deals".

While Shivakumar asked the contractors to lodge a complaint in writing, Boseraju and Jarkiholi have denied the allegations.

Interestingly, these comments have come a day after Chief Minister's Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddi's reported comments regarding the level of corruption in the state made news.

The '40 per cent commission' allegation by KSCA had rocked state politics and became a major poll plank for the Congress to wrest power from BJP in 2023 Assembly polls.

"For releasing money (by clearing bills) more percentage (commission) is being taken compared to the previous government," Manjunath told reporters in Chitradurga.

Stating that Jarkiholi is honest, but a "unseen hand" was working, he said in the last three-four months one of his relatives has entered.

"While in the DCM's office, one can't tell who is a broker and who is not, and they approach those who go there assuring that they will get the bills cleared. In Boseraju's case his son does all the dealings," he added.

Manjunath alleged that middlemen were active in various departments, as he also pointed out that contractors are struggling due to pending bills.

He specifically highlighted non responsiveness to their concerns by officials from four irrigation utilities - Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam, Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, Karnataka Neeravari Nigam and Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam, which comes under Shivakumar's water resources department.

KSCA has written letters to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Boseraju and Jarkiholi, alleging that "unseen hands" have vitiated the system in the last 3-4 months.

Despite having decided that small contractors would be paid Rs 5-50 lakh, big contractors are being given special letters of credit (LOC).

The KSCA also asked Siddaramaiah to release Rs 15,000 crore, which is half of all the pending bills.

Reacting to KSCA allegations, Shivakumar asked them to give a complaint to Lokayukta or the government. "We will get the inquiry done. The government is committed to provide a lawful administration, we will not give any scope for bribery. If anyone is involved in such things let them (contractors) give in writing," he said.

Minister Boseraju said he was functioning in a very transparent way in his department and if proved anything on his part, he would resign.

"My son is also into politics. When I'm busy, he receives visitors at my office and talks to them. He has not touched a single rupee so far. He doesn't sign files," he said.

Rejecting the allegations, Jarkiholi said his department has prioritised small contractors.

Stating that the department has the power to issue special LOCs for 20 per centre of pending bills, he said he was ready to take suggestions and improve things based on it.

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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.

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