Law Student Sues OP Jindal Global University Over AI Allegations In Exam Failure

A law student has initiated legal action against OP Jindal Global University after he failed an end-term examination, which the university claims was due to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in answering test questions. Kaustubh Shakkarwar, pursuing a Master of Law (LLM) in Intellectual Property and Technology Laws, firmly denies these allegations, asserting that his answers were original.

Shakkarwar took the exam for the course titled “Law and Justice in the Globalising World” on May 18. Following the test, the university’s Unfair Means Committee informed him on June 25 that his answers were deemed “88% AI-generated,” leading to his failure in the subject. The Controller of Examinations later upheld this decision.

In response, Shakkarwar has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the university’s claims and seeking to overturn the examination result. The court has requested OP Jindal Global University to provide a response to his petition, with a hearing scheduled for November 14.

In his lawsuit, Shakkarwar, who has previously worked as a researcher for the Chief Justice of India, insists that he did not utilize any AI tools to complete his exam. He argued that the university failed to issue clear guidelines regarding the use of AI and that the definition of plagiarism should only apply in cases of copyright infringement.

Shakkarwar’s petition states, “The university is silent to state that use of AI would amount to ‘plagiarism’ and thus, the petitioner cannot be prosecuted for what is not explicitly prohibited.” He also contends that the university has not provided any substantial evidence to support their claims against him.

As the case unfolds, OP Jindal Global University has refrained from commenting, citing the matter’s sub-judice status.

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