Patna, Feb 19 (NationPress) In the midst of the controversy surrounding Galgotias University and its display of a Chinese robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit, Union Minister Chirag Paswan labeled the incident a "major lapse" and indicated that the government will determine further actions once the summit concludes.

Speaking to reporters, Paswan emphasized that it is entirely inappropriate for a university to showcase a product and falsely assert ownership of it. "This is a major lapse. A university showcasing incorrect information and claiming ownership is completely unacceptable," he stated.

Addressing the university representative who discussed the robotic dog, Paswan noted that she seemed to be carefully choosing her words to rationalize the situation. "The individual present was attempting to manipulate language. She stated that the message was conveyed differently and subsequently misinterpreted. However, during a national AI Summit, such occurrences are serious matters," he remarked.

Paswan added that the incident raises significant concerns, particularly since the summit serves as a global platform that attracts international attention. He underscored that such events could damage India's reputation worldwide.

"The summit is ongoing. Following its conclusion, the government will assess the necessary course of action. The way this was presented has fostered a negative impression globally," he noted.

Earlier, Shiv Sena-UBT MPs, including Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai, scrutinized the organizers and called for stringent measures, including penalties, against the university. The MPs expressed that the incident represents not only national embarrassment but also invites international mockery.

In its initial official response to the controversy on Wednesday, the Centre expressed its desire for "authentic and factual work" to be showcased at such events, emphasizing a rejection of misinformation.

The Greater Noida-based university faced substantial backlash on social media after Neha Singh, a Professor of Communications, claimed in an interview with DD News that the robotic dog displayed at the university’s pavilion was developed by its “centre of excellence”. She referred to the robotic dog as “Orion”. However, it later became apparent that the product was the Unitree Go2, created by China's Unitree Robotics.

Neha Singh subsequently attributed the incident to miscommunication. Meanwhile, the university distanced itself from her comments, stating she was not authorized to speak with the media. In a statement, Galgotias University extended its apologies for the confusion and asserted that the representative was "ill-informed".

"We at Galgotias University sincerely apologize for the confusion caused during the recent AI Summit. One of our representatives at the pavilion was misinformed. She lacked knowledge of the product's technical origins and, in her eagerness to be on camera, provided factually incorrect information, despite not being authorized to communicate with the press," the institution declared.