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Although quantum computing is a fast growing field, skill and expertise in this new area of technology is desperately needed, and leading Indian institutions along with IBM India have been working on a programme to skill India.

Quantum computing has found application across medicine, agriculture, and finance. The government of India launched the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NMQTA) stressing the importance of pushing forward the quantum domain in India. IBM India recently collaborated with leading institutions of India to accelerate training and research in quantum computing. Gadgets 360 talked to L Venkata Subramaniam, Senior Manager, AI at IBM Research India, Professor Anil Shaji from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, and Professor Anil Prabhakar of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras to understand what quantum computing is all about.

Is quantum computing a once in an era sort of change?

The power of quantum computing comes from two basic phenomena of quantum mechanics – superposition and quantum entanglement. While the bits in a classical computer exist as a string of zeros and ones, a quantum bit or a qubit can stay in a state of a combination of zero and one – this is called superposition. Entanglement, the other phenomena that powers quantum computing, is a connection between qubits. “The qubits needn’t be close to each other. One qubit can be in Delhi and the other can be in the other end of the universe. But if they are entangled, then by looking at the state of one of the qubit, you’ll be able to predict the state of the other qubit,” explained Subramaniam. By exploiting these two phenomena, quantum computing can be put into use in a wide range of activities ranging from speeding up the discovery of drugs and fertilizers to solving complex optimisation problems.

The government in its budget last year had announced NMQTA under the Ministry of Science and Technology with a total budget outlay of Rs. 8000 crore for the advancement of quantum technology. IBM’s collaboration with the leading educational institutions in India is aligned with this step by the government. Through IBM’s Quantum Educator Programme, the company will join hands with the faculty and students of Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) – Pune, IISER – Thiruvananthapuram, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Jodhpur, IIT – Kanpur, IIT – Kharagpur, IIT – Madras, Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai, and the University of Calcutta to further research and education in quantum computing.

IBM introduced quantum computers over the cloud almost 5 years ago. The collaborating institutions will get priority access to IBM’s quantum systems, learning resources, and quantum tools over the cloud. Thus the students will get an opportunity to work on actual quantum computers and programme them using Qiskit, a python-based open-source framework developed by IBM.

Skilling India to lead the way?

A 2019 study published by Progressive Policy Institute pointed out that India will overtake the US as the world’s largest developer population centre by 2024. With a bit of training starting at the university level, the STEM students from India could adapt themselves to work and lead in the quantum computing arena with greater efficiency.

Talking about the current state of quantum technology courses in Indian institutions, Subramaniam said, “A lot of the courses are very theoretical in nature, there are no hands-on lab sessions. We are enabling the students and the faculty to get all the materials including the lab materials, the study material, and the start up code which will get them started”.

According to Professor Shaji of IISER Thiruvananthapuram, there is a bit of an issue in managing the expectations of students regarding quantum computing. “A lot of students are really interested in studying quantum computing now because of all the emphasis and also a bit of a hype surrounding quantum computing and quantum technologies,” Professor Shaji said. IISER

Thiruvananthapuram is also a part of the NMQTA. One of the researches that IISER is undertaking involves building a quantum computer using a different technology than that of IBM.

Professor Shaji said that the collaboration initiated by IBM will have a significant cascading effect in the term of five to ten years as the students are getting an early exposure to this up and coming technology. Talking about the student’s response he added, “There is quite a bit of news hype around this subject, so one goes in there expecting miracles to come out of it. It is important that the students understand that the technology is still in its baby steps. It is necessary to understand there are things that you can do and there are things that you would like to do but cannot do yet.”

IIT Madras has a Centre for Quantum Information, Communication, and Computing, where quantum computing is one among the three verticals in quantum research for the institution. Apart from the Quantum Educator’s Programme, IIT Madras has also joined hands with IBM for a course on quantum computing at the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), an online learning platform funded by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India which provides free courses on university-level STEM subjects. The quantum computing course on NPTEL which is set to start by late August has already received over 6,000 registrations, a clear indication of student-interest towards the subject.

Professor Prabhakar of IIT Madras said that the institution has priority access to a number of IBM’s quantum machines. “Our students are able to take a quantum computing lab where they are running problems on these machines. Many of the machines are also available to the public, but not with priority. We can also reserve some machines for use for our students. This enables the students to be more focused on what they are doing. Our goal is to be able to train at least 15 students each year at a higher level.”

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Dinosaurs were thriving before asteroid impact, study finds

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2 days ago

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April 9, 2025

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Dinosaurs were thriving before asteroid impact, study finds

Scientists say that dinosaurs weren’t doomed when an asteroid hit Earth. Fossil unearthings before the asteroid collision, at the end of the Cretaceous epoch, show that dinosaurs were losing variety and numbers. At first, some scientists thought this alteration showed dinosaurs were headed toward extinction even before the fatal asteroid incident. Nevertheless, this concept has long been argumentative, with other researchers insisting that dinosaur diversity was doing just fine at the time of their loss of life.

Challenging the Long-Held Narrative

According to a report by Live Science, the visible rarity of dinosaurs before their extinction may merely be due to a low fossil record. Emphasizsng four families—that is, the Ankylosauridae, Ceratopsidae, Hadrosauridae, and Tyrannosauridae—the studies of the scientists reveal records of approximately 8,000 fossils from North America dating to the Campanian age (83.6 million to 72.1 million years ago) and Maastrichtian age (72.1 million to 66 million years ago).

Th range of dinosaurs peaked 76 million years ago and started to shrink after the asteroid collision wiped off the nonavian dinosaurs. This drift was more pronounced than in the 6 million years before the mass annihilation, with the number of fossils from all four families reducing in the geological record.

Fossil Records and Statistical Models Paint a New Picture

Vegetation either covered or obscured geological outcrops from the Maastrichtian period in North America. Specifically, rock from this time that might contain dinosaur fossils was not easily accessible to the researchers who were searching for them. The study’s encapsulation might also have worldwide branching due to North America being home to half of the familiar fossils from this age.

A Catastrophic Exception, Not a Gradual End

There is no evidence of environmental conditions or other aspects that would specifically elaborate the reason of this decline, the researchers landed. All of the dinosaur broods were far-flung, as per models come into being developed by the researchers — and consequently at low risk for extinction, barring a catastrophic event such as the asteroid effect.

In the group of 8,000 fossil records evaluated, the team found that ceratopsians—a group that includes horned dinosaurs like Triceratops and its relatives — were the most common; most likely, they inhabited plain regions that were most conducive to preservation during the Maastrichtian era.

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Scientists Revive Dire Wolves Using Ancient DNA and Modern Gene Editing

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3 days ago

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April 8, 2025

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Scientists Revive Dire Wolves Using Ancient DNA and Modern Gene Editing

Three live dire wolf pups have been born using reconstructed DNA. The extinct species had last roamed North America around 12,500 years ago. The milestone was reached by a Dallas-based biotech firm that focuses on genetic conservation. Ancient DNA samples from fossilised remains were analysed. Modern gene-editing tools were used to mimic key characteristics of the extinct predator. These pups were brought to life by implanting modified embryos into domestic dog surrogates. The young wolves have been named Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi.

Ancient DNA edited in lab to recreate species

According to a study shared by Colossal Biosciences, DNA samples had been collected from two ancient dire wolf fossils. One was a 13,000-year-old tooth, while the other was a 72,000-year-old skull fragment. These fragments were compared to modern wolf relatives and grey wolves were chosen for DNA alteration because of their evolutionary proximity. Gene sequences that were found only in dire wolves were isolated. These were introduced into the DNA of grey wolves through targeted editing.

Cloning technique used to implant embryos

The altered genetic material was inserted into grey wolf egg cells after removing their original nuclei. These prepared cells were placed inside domestic dogs. Each surrogate received multiple embryos. Interestingly, only one embryo survived in each of the first two dogs. Both gave birth by caesarean section, while the third pup was born in a second round of implantation.

Physical traits match fossil record

The new pups have been observed to develop features consistent with known dire wolf fossils. Thick white coats, larger teeth and body structure have been reported. These results came from identifying changes in 14 genes. The gene edits were introduced using CRISPR technology.

The same company had previously cloned red wolves. The team had also created “woolly mice” as part of a mammoth revival effort. The successful dire wolf birth marks a new phase in gene-driven species restoration.

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Panama Tree Shocks Scientists With Lightning-Based Defense

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3 days ago

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April 8, 2025

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Panama Tree Shocks Scientists With Lightning-Based Defense

Lightning is commonly considered a sign of disaster in the forest, as lightning kills or damages trees. On the lowlands of Panama, the tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera) might have evolved to capitalize on this natural occurrence. New research suggests that lightning strikes could help the tonka bean tree (Dipteryx oleifera). According to Live Science research, these trees not only survive these electrical interactions unharmed, but the lightning also harms their competitors and the parasitic vines that cling to the tonka bean plants.

The researchers published their findings on March 26 in the journal New Phytologist. Lightning is a major cause of tree mortality in tropical forests, particularly among the largest and oldest trees, which play important roles in carbon storage and biodiversity.

Lightning as a Canopy Weapon

On average, each lightning hit destroyed over 2.4 tons (2 metric tons) of adjacent tree biomass and approximately 80 percent of the lianas (parasitic vines) that plagued the tonka bean canopy. As per Gora’s assumption, the key to these trees’ lightning resistance comes from their physical structure.

A few studies describe the tree as having strong internal conductivity, letting lightning current flow through without building up damaging heat like a well-insulated wire. Because they tend to grow large — up to 130 feet (40 meters)—and live for centuries, a single tonka bean tree is estimated to be struck at least five times after reaching maturity. Each strike helps to clear out vines and competitors, opening up the canopy to help it thrive.

Ecological Impact and Evolutionary Marvel

Gregory Moore, a horticulturalist from the University of Melbourne who was not involved in the study, thinks the results will apply to other species. “The sort of work could also apply to other tree-dominated plant communities, such as woodlands or low woodlands where trees are widely separated, so it’s nothing like a tropical forest,” he said, adding that other tall trees are also possible targets of lightning strikes.

More Than Just a Tree

“We have long known that some trees can withstand multiple lightning strikes,” Moore said, noting that some tall trees survive Australian bushfires and grow up towering over their neighbors, making them prime targets for lightning strikes. “They are often referred to as stags because the top of the crown has been blown out, but they can survive for centuries after being hit by lightning,” he added.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


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