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Bengaluru, Apr 10 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday ruled out any change in the state Congress president—a post he currently holds—stating that no discussion has taken place in this regard with the party high command.

"No changes. Some office bearers will be added, and some District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents will be replaced. Beyond that, no one has spoken to me about any such matter," Shivakumar said in response to a question about possible changes to the KPCC presidency or organisational reshuffles during the AICC meeting in Ahmedabad.

Shivakumar is currently serving an extended term as KPCC president.

A section of party leaders, some of whom have openly expressed interest in the post, have argued that Shivakumar should not continue holding both positions—Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president—citing the party’s ‘one man, one post’ policy. They have urged the high command to appoint a new KPCC chief soon.

When asked about filling four vacant MLC positions, Shivakumar said AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala would visit the state on April 17 to discuss the matter.

"I’m always in favour of party workers, including for nomination quotas. I firmly believe that eligible party workers should be given a chance," he said, responding to a question on the party’s nominees for the vacant seats.

Asked about Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayareddi’s reported claim that Karnataka ranks number one in corruption, Shivakumar said, "He (Rayareddi) has clarified that he never made such a statement. I saw the reports on TV while I was in Ahmedabad. I will speak to him."

On an activist reportedly seeking the Governor’s permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly receiving kickbacks during his first term as CM to approve mining leases for eight firms accused of illegalities, Shivakumar dismissed the allegations.

"These are political accusations with no truth in them. No one can act outside the legal framework, especially on mining leases. The chief minister would have discharged his responsibilities responsibly," he said.

The Deputy CM also said he was unaware of several legislators across party lines recently signing a petition addressed to the Chief Minister and Union Civil Aviation Minister, urging them to establish Bengaluru’s second airport at Sira in Tumakuru—about 120 km from Bengaluru. The campaign is being spearheaded by senior Congress leader and MLA T B Jayachandra.

When asked whether he was trying to bring the airport to his constituency, Kanakapura, he said, "I have not been involved in that matter at all. I haven’t asked for the airport to be set up in Kanakapura. I don’t know about Kanakapura, Nelamangala, or Sira. Wherever it comes up in Karnataka, it’s the same for me. I believe in a united Karnataka."

"Some legislators may have expressed interest because they want land values in their constituencies to increase with the airport’s development. But the final decision will be made by the Centre," he added.

Responding to JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s recent allegations of corruption and warnings that he has "tonnes of material" to expose the Congress government and its leaders, Shivakumar responded sarcastically: "I wish him all the best. Let him say when he wants the lorry (to carry the tonnes of material)—we’ll send 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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