Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, made a sarcastic remark about the controversy surrounding Galgotias University's presentation of a 'Chinese' RoboDog at the AI Impact Summit. Speaking to X, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir questioned whether Galgotias instructs its students to 'plagiarize and present it as their own work.'
Abdullah wrote in a social media post that when you're caught, instead of admitting and apologizing, you make excuses. If that fails, you shift the blame onto an employee to protect yourself.
The uproar began when the university showcased the RoboDog at a public event, claiming it as their own creation. The institution subsequently apologized, explaining that the faculty member who presented the robot was not completely informed about its technical origins.
Abdullah also mentioned, "I'm grateful that this wasn't the education I experienced."
In another post on X, he mocked Neha Singh's justification for showcasing the Chinese robot, stating, 'Your 6 is my 9. I must remember to use that at some point.'”
The university stated that the professor lacked accurate information.
Professor Neha Singh stated on Wednesday that her comments were not clearly expressed and regretted the way they were understood, rather than offering an apology.
I might have expressed myself more fluently and clearly. Due to the excitement and haste, things got a bit disorganized, which was not intended. The branding remains unchanged," she stated. She also described the incident as a matter of perspective, saying, "What you see as a six, someone else sees as a nine, that's what occurred."
In a statement released later on Wednesday, the university located in Greater Noida stated that Professor Neha Singh had shared 'factually incorrect information' due to her 'enthusiasm of being on camera'.
The university characterized her as lacking knowledge about the product's origins and aimed to dissociate itself from the comments made during the presentation.
Has Neha Singh been fired?
As of now, Galgotias University has not officially confirmed whether Neha Singh has been dismissed or requested to step down.
Speculation on social media began when her LinkedIn profile indicated she is 'open to work'. Her profile shows that Singh became a faculty member in Communications at the School of Management at Galgotias University in November 2023. Prior to this, she was an Assistant Professor at Sharda University and a Verbal Ability mentor at Career Launcher. She also worked at GITAM, completed her MBA from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in 2006, and obtained a B.Com degree from the University of Allahabad. However, neither Singh nor the university has officially announced her dismissal. The LinkedIn update alone does not verify any change in her employment status.
Professor assumes responsibility
Neha Singh clarified in her statement regarding the controversy that she never intended to assert that the robodog was developed domestically.
The controversy arose due to a possible lack of clarity in expression," she mentioned to ANI. "I accept responsibility for perhaps not conveying it effectively, as it was delivered with much energy and enthusiasm and quite rapidly, which might have affected my usual eloquence." She further commented that the matter was about perspective, stating, "Your six, my nine... it's about perspective."