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Madikeri: “The politicians, who rush to us even by crossing hills to seek votes during elections, are not remembering us now. No representatives or top officials visited and consoled us when we lost everything, including our homes, in the natural disaster. Nobody is listening to our cries,” lamented victims who have taken shelter at a Madrasa in Napoklu village in the Taluk.

The natural disaster remarkably hit Maade village in Madikeri's Yeradane Monnangeri town. The 83 members of 22 families, who lost their lands and homes, are housed in a camp at Darul Uloom Sunni Madrasa, located at Kottammudi Old Juma Masjid in Napoklu Hodavada village. No politicians or officers, including the Taluk Panchayat, Zilla Panchayat members, Chairman, Local MLAs, and MPs have visited this center.

"We've been in this camp for eleven days. The local Jamaat Committee and everyone in this area has cooperated with us. They have shifted the Madras classes elsewhere so as to provide us with accommodation here. They have provided all the necessary arrangements to us. The district administration has provided health care and police security. But the most disappointing thing is that neither the members of the taluk panchayat, Zilla panchayat nor public representatives are willing to visit us to ask our difficulties. The politicians, who remember us well when elections come, have now forgotten us. They even have no time to find out where we are and what we are up to. We lost homes and lands and became destitute. Redressal of our grievances quickly and permanently is our only request," said Noor Jahan, a victim in the camp.

We believed in the hills and lived. But now our hills, gardens, and homes have gone underground due to a natural disaster. The ISRO officials visited the place, where the hills were cracked and could collapse at any time. It is no longer a habitable area. Now we are in a grave situation as we very much depend on agriculture. The government must provide a permanent solution by providing homes to all the families living here,” MB Fayaz, a student at the rescue camp, urged the government.

Saleem quit the job in Kuwait and returned

My wife called and informed me about the natural disaster on August 17 when I was working in Kuwait. Our family members were all looking for a safe shelter after our house was collapsed. My wife and two children were only available at my home at that time. After learning this situation, my heart did not allow me to be there. Even though I appealed, our Kafeel (boss) did not give me a vacation to come to town. I returned to the city with the assistance of my friends. The Kafeel had asked me to return on August 27. But I do not know how to go leaving my family in this situation. Now we are living in the camp without any work, Saleem told 'Varthabharathi.'

We shelved Madrasa and sheltered victims

We have provided shelter to 83 flood victims in Madrasa. Consequently, the Madrasa classes have been shifted to a makeshift elsewhere. But no politician or government officer have visited to check these victims conditions. No top official consoled them yet. There was no assistance from the government for the initial three days. At that time, they were fed with the cooperation of the locals. Finally, when we sent a message through WhatsApp, the authorities provided health care and police protection to the victims. But how long can they live here? We urge the district administration to provide permanent settlement to these victims,” Hasan and Muhammad, secretary and joint secretary of the Old Juma Masjid of Kottammudi, said.



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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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