MeitY Secretary on Galgotias University Robot Dog Row: “Misinformation Cannot Be Promoted”
New Delhi, February 19: S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said that expos such as the AI Summit 2026 must showcase genuine and authentic work, stressing that misinformation cannot be encouraged.
Speaking to the media, Krishnan responded to questions regarding the vacating of Galgotias University’s stall at the AI Impact Expo 2026 following a controversy over the display of a “Chinese” robot dog. He said he did not wish to comment on whether the university was right or wrong, but emphasized that the government did not want any controversy surrounding the exhibits.
“We want expos to display real and genuine work. The purpose is not to use such platforms in any other way. We do not want any controversy regarding the exhibits displayed here. Therefore, it is important that a code is followed. Misinformation cannot be promoted. We simply do not want controversy. I am not getting into whether they are right or wrong,” he said.
According to sources, officials had asked Galgotias University to vacate its stall at the India AI Impact Summit Expo after the dispute over the robot dog display.
University Issues Apology
Galgotias University Registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur issued a press release apologizing for the confusion caused at the summit.
“We at Galgotias University sincerely apologize for the confusion at the recent AI Summit. One of our representatives at the pavilion had incorrect information. He was unaware of the product’s technical origin and, in the excitement of speaking on camera, shared inaccurate details, despite not being authorized to speak to the press,” the statement read.
The university clarified that there was no institutional intent to misrepresent the innovation and reiterated its commitment to academic integrity, transparency, and responsible presentation of its work. It added that the stall was vacated in accordance with the organizers’ directions.
Earlier, amid the growing controversy over the “Chinese” robot dog display at the AI Impact Summit 2026, Gaur had issued a clarification stating that the confusion stemmed from the use of the terms “develop” and “development.”
He clarified that the university had not developed the robot but had worked on its development for academic and research purposes.
“This is a mix-up between the words ‘develop’ and ‘development.’ We did not develop it. We worked on its development. We wanted to bring such systems for research purposes, just as the robot was brought in, and to enable students to conduct research on it,” Gaur said.
Addressing a viral video in which Professor Neha Singh introduced the robot dog as “Orion” during the AI Expo, Gaur suggested that there may have been a misunderstanding in the wording used.
