Punjab & Haryana HC Notice To Jindal Law School Over AI-Generated Exam Claims

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Jindal Global Law School, part of O.P. Jindal Global University, in response to a petition filed by an LLM student challenging a university committee’s decision that classified his answer sheet as “AI-generated.”

The petitioner, Kaustubh Shakkarwar, is a practicing lawyer currently enrolled in the Master of Laws (LLM) program specializing in Intellectual Property and Technology Laws at Jindal Global Law School. Shakkarwar sat for his first-term examinations on May 18, 2024, submitting answers for the end-term exam in the course “Law and Justice in the Globalizing World.”

However, on June 25, the university’s Unfair Means Committee deemed that 88% of his responses were AI-generated, resulting in a failing grade for the subject.

In his petition, Shakkarwar contended that the university had not clearly defined the use of AI as a form of plagiarism, arguing that he should not face penalties for actions that were not explicitly prohibited.

He emphasized that the work he submitted was his own and requested the university to provide a specific rule against the use of AI in exam submissions. According to him, the university failed to produce any such documentation to support its claim.

Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri has scheduled the next hearing for November 14 and has directed the university to respond to the notice.

This case raises important questions about the evolving role of AI in academic settings and the need for clear guidelines regarding its use in examinations.

As educational institutions grapple with the implications of AI technology, Shakkarwar’s case highlights the necessity for transparent policies that define acceptable practices for students.

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