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The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
How India can overcome the quantum lag behind U.S., China
As India embarks on its ambitious $750 million National Quantum Mission, it finds itself at a historic inflection point—much like the 1970s when it declared self-reliance in nuclear technology. Then, as now, the engine driving this leap is theoretical brilliance paired with mission execution. Today's mission, however, seeks mastery over a frontier even stranger than the atomic nucleus: the quantum realm. Useful parallel The universe, at its most fundamental level, operates under principles that defy classical intuition. A groundbreaking experiment conducted at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science in 1998, and reported in the prestigious journal Nature, vividly demonstrated one of quantum theory's most mind-bending assumptions: the act of observation influences reality. Researchers created a microscopic setup with a barrier containing two holes and directed electrons towards it. By employing an electronic detector as the observer, they meticulously tracked the electrons' behaviour. The experiment revealed that, when unobserved, electrons behaved as waves, simultaneously traversing both openings. However, upon observation by the detector, these same electrons were compelled to act as particles, passing through only one opening. Crucially, the degree of observation directly correlated with the extent of control over the resulting interference patterns validating fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics such as superposition, entanglement, and wavefunction collapse. These observations, amongst Richard Feynman's foundational work in the 1980s, would lay the foundation for Quantum Key Distribution computing, sensing and metrology, materials and devices, software and algorithms, optics, and photonics technologies. Around the same decade, India announced its self-reliance in nuclear technology that represented the culmination of decades of mathematical modelling, from Monte Carlo simulations for neutron transport to sophisticated algorithms for implosion dynamics. Starting in 1940s, under the leadership of Homi Bhabha, a theoretical physicist himself, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research-led mission successfully built capacity in neutron physics, reactor design calculations, and complex mathematical modelling. This helped physicists build Apsara, India's first research reactor, and later the entire nuclear power program possible. Both nuclear and quantum technology deal with the fundamental nature of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels and are built on the bedrock of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. Quantum physics is the foundational framework describing matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scales, encompassing all fundamental forces and particles like electrons and quarks. Nuclear physics, a specific branch within this framework, focuses intensely on the atomic nucleus—its protons and neutrons—and the powerful strong and weak nuclear forces that govern them, operating at much higher energy scales than typical atomic interactions. While quantum physics provides the universal rules for the microscopic world, nuclear physics applies these rules to unravel the complex behaviour and transformations within the nucleus itself, leading to phenomena like radioactivity, fission, and fusion. Quantum mechanics and nuclear physics depend greatly on mathematical structures such as linear algebra, differential equations and probability theory to model and predict the behaviour of subatomic particles, in which wave functions and probabilities are key concepts. This legacy of coupling theoretical brilliance with an almost obsessive focus on mission execution is profoundly relevant for India's quantum ambition today as it pursues its $750 million National Quantum Mission. Quantum computing demands exactly the skills India has cultivated: advanced linear algebra for quantum state manipulation, group theory for quantum symmetries, probability theory for quantum measurement, and number theory for quantum cryptography. The transition from nuclear to quantum represents an evolution in India's scientific journey. Where nuclear physics required mastery of differential equations and statistical mechanics, quantum computing demands tensor algebra and quantum field theory—domains where India's mathematical tradition provides natural advantages. The same institutions that powered nuclear success—TIFR, IITs, DRDO and BARC—now host quantum research centres and have built and tested India's first 6-qubit superconducting quantum processor, facilitating India's entry into the quantum hardware arena, a field dominated so far by only a few nations. Interestingly, all the major building blocks were conceived in India: the qubits were designed and made at TIFR's Mumbai facility, with a new ring-resonator design created by TIFR researchers. The control electronics and software stack were integrated by DRDO's Young Scientists Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT) in Pune with assistance from TCS, showcasing a synergy among defence labs, academics, and industry. Companies like QPiAi and QNu Labs are actively developing quantum computing and quantum-safe communication while the government is pursuing secure satellite-based quantum key distribution and advanced metrology systems. The successful demonstration of free-space quantum secure communication over more than one kilometre by DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Delhi further highlights India's progress in practical applications. Further , start-ups such as Nav Wireless are pioneering indigenous Free space optical communication (FSOC) technology that can support interference-free quantum communication in urban and low resource rural settings. Despite India's progress in software-centric, theoretical and algorithmic aspects of quantum computing, the country lags China and the U.S. China leads in quantum communications, lags in computing (where the United States excels), and matches the United States in sensing. China excels in market-ready tech, while the U.S. dominates other high-impact areas. These progresses have been made possible due to their success in attracting top talent, providing enabling infrastructure/labs and sufficient funding (China's $15 billion public quantum funding) The crucial talent gap While India has a very large number of quantum-educated graduates and ranks second globally in quantum-ready workforce with approximately 91,000 graduates as of 2021 (based on quantum-relevant fields such as biochemistry, electronics, chemical engineering, mathematics, and statistics published by McKinsey Quantum Technology Monitor-April 2024), the human resource involved in developing quantum technologies is abysmally small. This critical shortage means entire subfields of quantum technology remain unexplored or underdeveloped within India. Furthermore, a notable weakness is the limited industry funding for research, with only 2.6% of surveyed PhD and postdoctoral researchers in India reporting industry support as per Office of PSA's April 2025- India's International Technology Engagement Strategy for Quantum Science, Technology and Innovationreport. This indicates a disconnect between the available academic talent and its effective integration into industrial quantum development. Building enabling infrastructure and self-reliance Recognising these gaps, the National Quantum Mission aims to significantly boost India's capabilities. Plans include expanding local fabrication facilities and supporting deep-tech startups through new funding initiatives, such as a recently announced $1.2 billion fund for deep-tech ventures. The structure of the mission consists of thematic hubs (T-Hubs) at world-class institutions such as IISc Bengaluru and Amravati Quantum Valley (Quantum Computing), IIT Madras (for Quantum Communication), IIT Bombay (for Quantum Sensing and Metrology), and IIT Delhi (for Quantum Materials & Devices) for creating research and skill-building in different quantum verticals. Further, India should also invest in the development of a robust domestic supply chain and talent base fabrication, cryogenics, and photonics on lines of the microelectronics commons programme in the US. While the Amravati Quantum declaration is a good start, India needs an accelerated roll-out of the enabling infrastructure to play catch-up with developed economies that have been investing 10X on Quantum initiatives. Fixing India's quantum talent woes The fragmented nature of India's research landscape, with few institutions appearing in top global rankings, could further hinder its ability to attract and retain top-tier foreign talent and lose Indian early-career researchers who often move to the U.S. and Europe for high-impact research opportunities. To reverse this trend, India should attract Indian-origin researchers working in international locations to contribute to its mission by offering innovative Visas (Europe's 'Talent Visas'), competitive salaries, better funding, and an enabling research environment. While a concerted effort is being made to create a qualified quantum workforce through numerous academic programs and collaborative research efforts, such as new undergraduate programs launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and AICTE and efforts from not-for-profit organizations such as QIndia, the nation should focus on integrating quantum curriculum into K-12 education itself much on the lines of USA's National Q-12 education partnership. India's intellectual heritage, which enabled India's remarkable nuclear achievements, can now propel the nation toward quantum supremacy provided India focuses on Quantum communication and Computing as core areas as they are the foundational technology layers for enabling other critical missions on Healthcare, Energy and Defence. Sustained investment in specialized training, fostering stronger industry-academia collaboration, attracting and retaining top-tier talent, and developing a resilient domestic supply chain are all vital components for India to achieve its vision of becoming a global leader in the quantum revolution. (The author is an Emerging Technology expert with experience in setting up DeepTech public private partnerships and policy advisory in areas of AI, IoT, Quantum,5G, Geospatial, Autonomous and Data Centre Technologies.)
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Netanyahu sees Iran outcome opening door to Gaza hostage return
FILE PHOTO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel June 20, 2025. JACK GUEZ/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo By Howard Goller Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the 12-day war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel, and the first was the return of hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian militants who attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. His remarks, coupled with the Jerusalem District Court's postponement of his testimony this week in his long-running corruption trial, gave rise to speculation that progress may be made to end the Gaza conflict and secure the hostages' release. The court accepted on Sunday Netanyahu's request for the delay, citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. U.S. President Donald Trump had suggested on Saturday the trial could interfere with the Israeli leader's ability to negotiate. Israel's military Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on Friday the war in Iran, which ended on June 24, could help advance Israeli objectives against the Iranian-backed Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. Israeli public radio Kan said Israel's security cabinet had met on Sunday evening and would meet again on Monday. Israel's strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Netanyahu's, was expected on Monday at the White House for talks on Iran and Gaza, Israeli media said. On a Sunday visit to a security facility of Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Netanyahu said: "I want to inform you that as you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory, many opportunities." "First of all, to rescue the hostages. Of course we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks," he said, according to a statement issued by his office. Israeli advocates for the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, said his statement prioritizing the hostages was a first. "The families of the hostages welcome the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister," they said. "This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza," their statement said. Of the 50 hostages, only 20 are believed to be alive. Trump said on Saturday that Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials on both sides have voiced skepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon. The U.S. has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and a release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Hamas would release the remaining hostages once a permanent ceasefire was in place. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza before intensified fighting against Hamas. A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group's outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory. Israel says it can only end the war if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives back to Gaza in their attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Netanyahu sees Iran outcome opening door to Gaza hostage return
FILE PHOTO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel June 20, 2025. JACK GUEZ/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the 12-day war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel, and the first was the return of hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian militants who attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. His remarks, coupled with the Jerusalem District Court's postponement of his testimony this week in his long-running corruption trial, gave rise to speculation that progress may be made to end the Gaza conflict and secure the hostages' release. The court accepted on Sunday Netanyahu's request for the delay, citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. U.S. President Donald Trump had suggested on Saturday the trial could interfere with the Israeli leader's ability to negotiate. Israel's military Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said on Friday the war in Iran, which ended on June 24, could help advance Israeli objectives against the Iranian-backed Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. Israeli public radio Kan said Israel's security cabinet had met on Sunday evening and would meet again on Monday. Israel's strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Netanyahu's, was expected on Monday at the White House for talks on Iran and Gaza, Israeli media said. On a Sunday visit to a security facility of Israel's Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Netanyahu said: "I want to inform you that as you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory, many opportunities." "First of all, to rescue the hostages. Of course we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks," he said, according to a statement issued by his office. Israeli advocates for the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, known as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters, said his statement prioritizing the hostages was a first. "The families of the hostages welcome the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister," they said. "This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza," their statement said. Of the 50 hostages, only 20 are believed to be alive. Trump said on Saturday that Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials on both sides have voiced scepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon. The U.S. has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and a release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Hamas would release the remaining hostages once a permanent ceasefire was in place. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate areas in northern Gaza before intensified fighting against Hamas. A Hamas official told Reuters the group had informed mediators it was ready to resume ceasefire talks, but reaffirmed the group's outstanding demands that any deal must end the war and secure an Israeli withdrawal from the coastal territory. Israel says it can only end the war if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives back to Gaza in their attack on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Court cancels Israel PM Netanyahu's trial hearings this week
FILE PHOTO: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot, Israel June 20, 2025. JACK GUEZ/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo JERUSALEM - The Jerusalem District Court cancelled this week's hearings in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial, accepting a request the Israeli leader made citing classified diplomatic and security grounds. It was unclear whether a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump influenced the court's decision. Trump suggested the trial could interfere with Netanyahu's ability to join negotiations with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran. The ruling, seen by Reuters, said that new reasons provided by Netanyahu, the head of Israel's spy agency Mossad and the military intelligence chief justified cancelling the hearings. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. He has cast the trial against him as an orchestrated left-wing witch-hunt meant to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader. On Friday, the court rejected a request by Netanyahu to delay his testimony for the next two weeks because of diplomatic and security matters following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which ended last Tuesday. He was due to take the stand on Monday for cross-examination. "It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu," Trump said in a Truth Social post. He said Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to "stand for this". A spokesperson for the Israeli prosecution declined to comment on Trump's post. Netanyahu on X retweeted Trump's post and added: "Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump. Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!" Trump said Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials from both sides have voiced scepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon. On Friday, the Republican president told reporters he believed a ceasefire was close. Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli bombings of Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Deadly blood cancer can now be detected early with blood test: Study
A team of Israeli and American scientists have developed a groundbreaking blood test that may soon revolutionize the early detection of leukaemia and other blood-related disorders. The test, which analyzes a simple blood sample, could eliminate the need for invasive bone marrow biopsies currently used in diagnosis. Published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine, the study was led by researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The team focused their work on identifying early indicators of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), an age-related condition in which blood-forming stem cells fail to develop correctly. MDS is particularly dangerous as it can lead to severe anaemia and progress into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a fast-growing type of blood cancer prevalent among adults. Currently, diagnosing MDS requires a painful and intrusive procedure — bone marrow sampling — which involves drilling into the pelvic bone under local anaesthesia. For many patients, especially older adults, this process is uncomfortable and distressing. The new research offers a promising alternative. The scientists discovered that rare blood-forming stem cells, which occasionally escape from the bone marrow and circulate in the bloodstream, carry crucial genetic clues about the early development of MDS. Using advanced single-cell genetic sequencing techniques, the researchers successfully decoded the information contained within these rare cells — all from a routine blood draw. One of the most remarkable findings was that these circulating stem cells not only provide early markers of disease but also appear to act as biological 'clocks' that reflect a person's chronological aging. 'These stem cells give us insights not only into early-stage disease but also into how aging progresses differently in men and women,' explained Dr. Nili Furer of the Weizmann Institute. 'We found that in males, the changes in these cells occur earlier than in females, potentially explaining the higher incidence of blood cancers among men.' The study holds significant promise for the future of cancer diagnostics. By replacing an uncomfortable and invasive procedure with a simple blood test, early detection becomes more accessible and patient-friendly. Furthermore, the researchers believe this breakthrough method could be adapted to detect other age-related blood disorders beyond MDS and AML. A large-scale international clinical trial is already underway to validate the effectiveness of the blood test across multiple medical centers worldwide. If successful, this new method could pave the way for more accurate, less invasive, and earlier diagnoses of life-threatening blood cancers, ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life for countless patients.
