After facing a legal challenge from one of its students, OP Jindal Global University (JGU) has issued a statement defending its academic policies and university status.
To recall, Kaustubh Shakkarwar, an LLM student specialising in ‘Intellectual Property and Technology Law’, filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the university after being accused of submitting Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content in his end-term examination.
In the petition, the student argued that there is no clear prohibition against using AI-generated content and that the administration must prove that copyright violations occurred.
In its response, the university wrote that Shakkarwar has been “issuing factually incorrect, misleading and prejudiced statements in social and online media on a matter which has become sub judice with the malicious intention to influence public opinion and thereby decision-making.”
The university, defending its decision, said that the matter pertains to adopting unethical practices in pursuit of academics including academic honesty and integrity of the examination process.
It might also be noted that the lawsuit filed by the student contended that the university's rules are illegal, as Jindal is not a recognised institution under the Haryana Universities Act of 2006.
“JGU is the first and only University in the State of Haryana to be recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE). This is an incredibly historic recognition for JGU… The recognition of an institution which upholds social values and national priorities, has been questioned by the student, Kaustubh Shakkarwar the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” said the statement.
Background
In May 2023, Shakkarwar submitted his exam paper for the course "Law and Justice in a Globalizing World" at Jindal Global Law School. The university flagged the submission after it was found to contain 88% AI-generated content, a violation of the university’s Anti-Plagiarism Regulations under the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. The university’s Unfair Means Committee accused him of misconduct, resulting in his failure in the exam.
However, JGU granted Shakkarwar a re-sit opportunity, which he subsequently passed.
Despite this, Shakkarwar filed a lawsuit against the university, challenging its actions and questioning the legality of the university’s rules, particularly concerning the use of AI in academic submissions.
The university added that apart from pursuing the legal matter, they would also approach other relevant regulatory bodies/authorities to report the professional misconduct of the petitioner.
