India joins quantum computing race:

India joins quantum computing race:

Context

• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is planning to fund a project to develop quantum computers.

What are quantum computers?

• A quantum computer employs the principles of quantum mechanics to store information in ‘qubits’ instead of the typical ‘bits’ of 1 and 0.
• Qubits work faster because of the way such circuits are designed, and their assurance is that they can do intensive number-crunching tasks much more efficiently than the fastest comparable computers.
• The Physics departments at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, have only forayed into the theoretical aspects of quantum computing.
• Experts from across the country are estimated to gather this month in Allahabad for a workshop to develop such a computer, and to discuss the costs and the time it would take to build one.
• The project was part of a forthcoming mission in the DST to fund research areas that would create the next generation of technology jobs in India.