New Delhi, Feb 23 (PTI) As many as 160 academicians have termed the Congress youth wing’s protest at the AI Impact Summit last week “profoundly regrettable and ill-conceived”, and said it reflected the opposition party’s inability to distinguish between legitimate democratic dissent and the imperative of safeguarding national prestige on a global stage.
The protest “associated with Rahul Gandhi” conveyed an “unfortunate impression” at a time when global investors and technology leaders were assessing India’s credibility as a long-term partner in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies, they said in a joint statement on Monday.
“As a Member of Parliament, there exists a constitutional responsibility to distinguish between constructive democratic critique and actions that may inadvertently weaken India’s international standing,” they added.
The signatories to the joint statement included JNU vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, IIT Roorkee director Kamal Kishore Pant, IIT Dharwad director Venkappayya R Desai, IIT Jodhpur Director Avinash Kumar Agarwal, and vice-chancellors and professors of various universities.
Last Friday, a group of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a dramatic shirtless protest at an exhibition hall during the AI Impact Summit at the Bharat Mandapam, walking around holding T-shirts with slogans against the government and the India-US trade deal printed on them, before being whisked away by security personnel present at the venue.
Delhi Police has arrested five IYC workers in connection with the incident so far.
Criticising the Congress for the protest, the academicians said the AI Impact Summit marked a defining national and civilizational moment.
It was India’s clear declaration to the world that the country has emerged as a serious and sovereign technological power in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, they said.
“The recent protest by the Indian Youth Congress at the India AI Impact Summit is profoundly regrettable and ill-conceived. This was neither a partisan platform nor a venue for domestic political propaganda. It was an international forum where India was presenting its technological capabilities, strategic vision and national potential before the world,” they said.
“Converting such a moment into an occasion for political demonstration reflects a serious lack of judgment and an inability to distinguish between legitimate democratic dissent and the imperative of safeguarding national prestige on a global stage,” they added.
The academicians noted that it was also concerning that the approach adopted by the Congress did not adequately reflect the broader national interest during such a significant global engagement.
“At a time when adversarial countries such as China and Pakistan publicly questioned or sought to diminish the importance of the summit, any domestic political conduct that appears to reinforce those narratives invites serious scrutiny,” they said.
The academicians also noted that India’s progress in AI is the collective outcome of its scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, institutions, universities and policy frameworks.
The summit was a clear articulation of India’s technological confidence and long-term ambition to develop indigenous foundational models, attract global capital, shape ethical governance frameworks and emerge as a decisive voice in Industry 4.0, they said.
“Let us look at the scale and substance of what the world witnessed at the India AI Impact Summit. As many as 644 AI technologies were showcased, reflecting the depth and diversity of innovation emerging from India and its global partners. Forty-one CEOs of global technology giants were present in person, signalling top-tier international confidence in India’s AI ecosystem,” they said.
The summit hosted 326 exhibitors from 37 countries and drew nearly five lakh visitors, making it one of the largest technology gatherings of its kind, they said, stressing that “most significantly”, the event resulted in investment commitments worth USD 250 billion, underlining tangible global trust in India’s technological future.
“The unveiling of three indigenous Large Language Models (LLMs) further marked a decisive shift; India is no longer just adopting global AI frameworks but building its own foundational capabilities. This was not symbolism; it was structural capacity on display. India demonstrated that it is not merely consuming technology, it is architecting it,” they added.
At a time when AI is reshaping global power structures, India demonstrated resolve and capability, the statement said.
“The international community’s presence and investment commitments affirmed that recognition. This summit will be remembered as a significant milestone in India’s technological evolution and global positioning,” the academicians said. PTI PK ARI
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