Galgotias students on being trolled: ‘People laugh at us, relatives say don’t bring a Chinese degree

As Galgotias University continues to face scrutiny and ridicule after attempting to pass off a China-made robodog as their own at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi, students have come forward to share that they are being brutally trolled--online and offline--by peers, relatives, and strangers.

During an interaction with Newslaundry, one student said friends and family have been ridiculing them since the story broke. “They are all laughing at us. They ask us, ‘Oh! You're from that fake university?’” the student said.

Another added the running joke now is whether Galgotias graduates will end up with “Chinese degrees”, echoing the criticism that the university passed off imported technology as its own. “They are saying that whatever you do, don’t return with a Chinese degree. We want a proper Indian degree,” the student said.

These responses reflect a growing sentiment online, where the university’s credibility has become the subject of memes, trolling, and pointed commentary. Hundreds of posts on X mock the institution for allegedly misrepresenting technology.

Controversy triggers public sympathy for students

Despite the flood of memes, some online voices expressed empathy for the students. Many noted that final-year batches, who are preparing for job interviews, might face prejudice due to the controversy, even though they were not responsible for the incident.

One viral reaction said: “Feeling sad for the final year students… no one would be more embarrassed than those who are about to sit in interviews.”

Another user wrote that those responsible for the misrepresentation should apologise to students who are hard-working and ambitious, noting that academic reputations are fragile and often follow graduates into their careers.

The robodog controversy has already made some alumni members of Galgotias reconsider mentioning the university in their resumes or even acknowledging it at workplaces.