Prelims Nuggets

Veto by silence

Context: Centre seems to be forcing Collegium to recall its recommendations by inaction. I n recalling its recommendation to appoint Justice S. Muralidhar as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, the Supreme Court collegium has let the Union government, which did not act on the decision for eight months, have its way.

Collegium system in appointment of judges
- The Collegium System is one where the CJI and a forum of four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court recommend appointment and transfer of judges of higher judiciary.
- The collegium system evolved through three different judgments which are collectively known as the Three Judges Cases.

First Judges Case - S.P. Gupta vs Union of India (1982) - (In favour of Executive)
- SC held - opinions of Chief Justice of India (CJI) and Chief Justice of respective High Courts were merely “consultative” and the power of appointment resides solely and exclusively with the Central Government.
- Central government “could” override the opinions given by the Judges. Thus, the opinion of Chief Justice of India in matters of appointment was not given primacy in matters of judicial appointments under Article 217(1).

Second Judges case - S.C advocates on record association vs Union of India (1993) - (Primacy of Judiciary) - (Decided by nine judge constitution bench)
- The Court considered the question of “Primacy of opinion of CJI in regard to appointment of Supreme Court Judges”.
- Referring to ‘Consultative Process’ as envisaged in Article 124(2), SC emphasized that Government does NOT enjoy primacy or absolute discretion in matters of appointment of Supreme Court judges.
- Court said that provision for consultation with Chief Justice was introduced as CJI is best equipped to know and assess the worth and suitability of a candidate and it was also necessary to eliminate political influence.
- SC held that initiation of the proposal for appointment of a Supreme Court Judge must be by the Chief Justice.

Third Judges case - RE: Presidential reference (Emergence of collegium system)

Supreme Court on a reference made by the President under Article 143 has laid down the following proposition with respect to appointment of Supreme Court judges:

While making recommendation, CJI shall consult four senior most Judges of Supreme Court. This led to the emergence of present Collegium System.
The opinion of all members of collegium regarding their recommendation shall be in writing.
The views of the senior-most Supreme Court Judge who hails from the High Court from where the person recommended comes must be obtained in writing for Collegium’s consideration.
If majority of the Collegium is against the appointment of a particular person, that person shall not be appointed.
Even if two of the judges have reservation against appointment of a particular Judge, CJI would not press for such appointment.
A High Court Judge of outstanding merit can be appointed as Supreme Court Judge regardless of his standing in the seniority list.
Supreme Court opined that in case of the appointment of high court judges, the chief justice of India should consult a collegium of two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

Merits of Collegium System	Demerits Of Collegium System
* Ensures Independence of Judiciary as mandated in Article 50 – from interference of the Executive.	* Lack of transparency and Accountability in the appointment process – The decisions of the Collegium is published on website of Supreme Court but does not reveal:
* Views of SC & HC Judges taken in writing.	* methodology or reasons provided for transfer or promotion of judges;
* Prevalence Majority favours process appointment.	* ground to select senior lawyers for appointment as Judges of SC or HC.
* Reservations of even two Judges of Collegium taken seriously and halts appointment process for doubtful candidates.	* Lack of Consensus among members of Collegium results in delay or even reversal of decisions at times.
* Allows talented lawyers from the bar to be appointed as Judges of HC/SC.	* Nepotism – Accusations of favouritism and preferential treatment to members from judicial fraternity.
	* Nepotism impacting Quality of Judgment - especially in High Courts.
	* Politicization of judiciary: Lack of transparency in selection criteria especially for High Courts leads to politically motivated appointments.
	* Absence of Permanent Commission: Law Commission’s 121st Report proposed to set up a National Judicial Service Commission for appointment of Judges. Even NCRWC in its 2002 Report highlighted the need for National Judicial Commission for the purpose of appointments to higher judiciary.
	* SC declaring NJAC Act and Constitution 99th Amendment as unconstitutional.

NJAC Act declared as unconstitutional
- Violation of Basic Structure - Five Judge Bench of Supreme Court [4:1] declared the Constitution 99th Amendment Act and the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014 as unconstitutional as it violated the Basic Structure of the Indian Constitution.
- Inclusion of Members of Executive - Constitution 99th Amendment introduced Article 124A which provided for the constitution and composition of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) which apart from members of Judiciary also included Union Minister of Law & Justice and two Eminent Persons to be appointed by the Central Government.
- Violation of Independence of Judiciary - SC held that Article 124A was insufficient to preserve the primacy of the judiciary, in the matter of selection and appointment of Judges to the higher judiciary as inclusion of members of executed violated independence of judiciary and the aspect of separation of powers. Accordingly, Article 124A (a) to (d) was set aside by the Constitution Bench as being ultra vires.
- Collegium System to Continue - The judgment officially allowed Collegium System for appointment and transfer to continue.

Way forward

Till the time government comes up with legislation for National Judicial Appointment Commission, appointment through Collegium system must be reformed by providing criteria for appointment of judges in the public domain. This will help to improve transparency and accountability in the system of Collegium based appointment for Judges.

First waterbodies census

Context: As a step towards making policies for the judicious use and conservation of water, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of water resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has taken the “first census of water bodies(2018-2019)” under the centrally sponsored scheme, “Irrigation Census” in convergence with the 6th Minor Irrigation Census for 2017-18.

The objective of the census of water bodies is to develop a national database for all water bodies by collecting information on all important aspects of the subject including their size, condition, status of encroachment, use, storage capacity etc

What is waterbody?

The census defines a waterbody as “all natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no masonry work used for storing water for irrigation or other purposes
Example industrial, pisciculture, domestic/drinking, recreation, religious, ground water recharge etc
Waterbodies are usually of various types known by different names like tank, reservoirs, ponds and bundhies etc.
A structure where water from ice-melt, streams, springs, rain or drainage of water from residential or other areas is accumulated or water is stored by diversion from a stream, nala or river will also be treated as waterbody.

Highlights of the first census of waterbodies

India has 24.24 lakh waterbodies like ponds, tanks and lakes, with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134)

Out of total number of waterbodies- 97.1% (23,55,055) are in rural areas and only 2.9% (69,485) in urban areas.
59.5 per cent (14,42,993) of waterbodies are ponds, followed by tanks (15.7 per cent i.e. 3,81,805), reservoirs (12.1 per cent i.e. 2,92,280), water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3% i.e. 2,26,217), lakes (0.9% i.e. 22,361) and others (2.5% i.e. 58,884)”.

West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs, whereas Andhra Pradesh has highest number of tanks. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes.

West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas has been ranked as the top district having the highest (3.55 lakh) number of waterbodies across the country. In addition to West Bengal, six other states have over one lakh waterbodies, while four states and UTs account for less than 1,000 waterbodies each.

The census also collected data on encroachment of waterbodies for the first time. 1.6% waterbodies out of all the enumerated waterbodies are reported to be encroached, out of which 95.4% are in rural areas and remaining 4.6% in urban areas.

55.2% (13,38,735) water bodies are under private ownership whereas 44.8% (10,85,805) water bodies are in the public domain

New space policy sets out roles of private and govt entities

Context: Indian Space Policy - 2023, which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 6, was made public recently.

About New India Space Policy 2023

(a) Role of Government entities:

Indian Space Research Organisation shall transition out from manufacturing operational space systems and focus its energies on research and development in new space technologies and applications and on expanding the human understanding of outer space.
Department of Space has been asked to implement the policy, interpret and clarify any ambiguities and establish a framework for safe and sustainable space operations and ensure that the different stakeholders are suitably empowered to discharge their respective functions without overlapping into the others' domains.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) shall function as an autonomous government organization, mandated to promote, hand-hold, guide and authorise space activities in the country.
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), as the public sector undertaking under the Department of Space, shall be responsible for commercialising space technologies and platforms created through public expenditure. The policy:
- Mandated NSIL to manufacture, lease or procure space components, technologies, platforms and other assets from the private or the public sector on sound commercial principles.
- Tasked NSIL to service the space-based needs of users, whether government entities or non-government entities, on sound commercial principles.

(b) Role of Private companies:

Private companies, referred to as non-governmental entities in the policy, will be allowed to undertake end-to-end space activity — launching and operating satellites, developing rockets, creating ground stations, building spaceports and mobile launch platforms, and providing services like communication, remote sensing and navigation, nationally and internationally.
Private entities have also been encouraged to develop space situational awareness capabilities — a mechanism to track objects in space and avoid collision of satellites and space stations with each other or space debris.
Private players can engage in the “commercial recovery” of asteroids or space resources. The companies will be entitled to “possess, own, transport, use, and sell” such resources in accordance with the law.

(c) Empower Indian Consumers:Indian consumers of space technology or services -- such as communication, remote sensing, data services and launch services - whether from the public or the private sector, shall be free to directly procure them from any source.

PSLV Orbital Experimental Module

Context: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to launch the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C55 (PSLV-C55) mission on April 22 with Singapore’s TeLEOS-2 as the primary satellite and Lumelite-4 as a co-passenger satellite.

PSLV-C55 mission has the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), where the spent PS4 (fourth and final stage of the PSLV launch vehicle) would be utilised as an orbital platform to carry out scientific experiments through non-separating payloads.

PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM)

PSLV Orbital Experimental Module is a platform that will help perform in-orbit experiments using the final, and otherwise discarded, stage of ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The PSLV is a four-stage rocket where the first three spent stages fall back into the ocean, and the final stage (PS4) — after launching the satellite into orbit — ends up as space junk. However, in the PSLV-C55 mission, the spent final stage will be utilised as a “stabilised platform” to perform experiments.
POEM has a dedicated Navigation Guidance and Control (NGC) system for attitude stabilisation, which stands for controlling the orientation of any aerospace vehicle within permitted limits. The NGC will act as the platform’s brain to stabilize it with specified accuracy.
POEM will derive its power from solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank, and a Li-Ion battery. It will navigate using “four sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC”.

Civil Services Day

About civil services day

It is celebrated on 21^st April every year.
It was the day when Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel addressed the probationers of administrative services officers in 1947.
It is celebrated as an occasion for civil servants to radiate themselves to the causes of citizens and redrew their commitments to public services and excellence in work.
On this day Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration is awarded to civil servants.

This year the 16 awards will be given in the following five priority programmes

i) Promoting “Jan Bhagidari” or People’s Participation in Poshan Abhiyan,

ii) Promoting excellence in sports and wellness through the Khelo India scheme,

iii) Digital payments and Good Governance in PM SVANidhi Yojana,

iv) Holistic Development through the One District One Product scheme,

v) Seamless, End-to-End Delivery of Services without Human Intervention.

Major Economies Forum

Context: The leader’s meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change, was convened virtually by the United States of America on 20^th April 2023.

About the Major Economies Forum

The group represented 20 major economies of the world including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, European Commission, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
The aim of the forum is to deal with climate change
The leaders informed the forum about the steps being taken by different countries toward climate action that varied across sectors.
The forum will foster cooperation among member countries in dealing with climate change.

India’s fighter jet conundrum

Context: The Indian Air Force is trying to keep up its strength of fighter squadrons as its fleet struggles with the gradual phase-out of existing jets as well as delays in the order and procurement of new jets. It is also placing much hope in indigenously manufactured aircraft.

The Present and Future of India’s fighter jets

Against the sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the Air Force has 31 squadrons.
Out of the 31 squadrons at present, the three Mig-21 squadrons will be phased by 2025.
MIG-29s, inducted in the late 1980s, will start going out by the early 2040s.
India has an ambitious plan lined up for the acquisition of over 500 fighter jets.

How many aircraft are in Squadron?

Squadrons typically include between 12 and 24 aircraft, depending on the type of aircraft and the branch of the military.
Land-based squadrons with heavy aircraft may have around 12 aircraft in a squadron. However, fighter units may have 18 to 24 aircraft.

Indigenous fighter ecosystem

IAF is supposed to get the 40 LCA from HAL,
Defence Ministry signed a deal with HAL for 83 LCA-MK1A, the first three aircraft in 2024 and 16 aircraft per year for the subsequent five years.
A more capable and larger LCA-MK2, which received sanction from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in September 2022, is expected to be ready for production by 2027.
There is also a Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) on the drawing board for the Navy’s aircraft carriers.
Navy Chief said that they may get up to 45 TEDBF by 2040 from HAL.
MRFA is a reincarnation of the earlier Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contest for 126 jets to be produced in India by a French company.

Characteristics of LCA

A light combat aircraft (LCA) is a light, multirole jet/turboprop military aircraft.
They are typically slower than larger multirole or strike aircraft such as the American F-18, F-15E Strike Eagle, or Russian MiG-29.
Most light combat aircraft are capable only of subsonic speeds, although some are capable of reaching Mach 1+.
An LCA will typically be equipped with bombs, gun pods, or short-range air-to-air missiles used for COIN or CAS missions.
Some aircraft integrate more advanced armaments such as smart bombs, air-to-ground missiles, ECM pods (Electronic Countermeasures), and electronic targeting systems.
These aircraft are usually used for self-defence or anti-hostile aircraft/helicopter missions, not for air-defence missions typically carried out by lightweight fighters.
Some LCAs are capable of air-to-air combat or point air defence missions if equipped with multi-mode radar systems. the majority cannot perform these missions due to their small design and limited capabilities.
LCAs are often used to patrol the skies and implement border patrol or air policing.

Characteristics of Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF)

The HAL Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is a canard delta wing, twin-engine, carrier-based, multirole combat aircraft.
The TEDBF is being designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The TEDBF is intended to perform a multitude of missions, including air supremacy, air interdiction, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), anti-ship warfare (ASW) and electronic warfare (EW) missions.
The TEDBF is expected to replace the Mikoyan MiG-29K onboard the INS Vikramaditya and the INS Vikrant.
The first flight is expected to be in 2026 with production planned for 2031.
The design's twin engines are expected to allow shorter take-offs from the Indian Navy’s Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carriers.
As a dedicated deck-based fighter, it will feature foldable wings for more compact storage. The TEDBF will predominantly be equipped with indigenous weapons systems.

Campa Fund

Context: Union Minister of Tourism, Culture, and DoNER has written to Telangana Chief Minister on the “non-utilization” of Rs 610 crores of the allocated amount from CAMPA funds in the last three years in Telangana.

About CAMPA FUND

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF Act), 2016 and Rules, 2018 provide elaborate guidelines and activities for utilization of CAMPA Fund. The monitoring of CAMPA activities in States/UTs are carried out through Internal and Third Party monitoring and e-Green watch web portal.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), a National Advisory Council headed by the Union Minister of Environment & Forests for monitoring, technical assistance, and evaluation of compensatory afforestation activities.
The law establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
These Funds will receive payments for: (i) compensatory afforestation, (ii) net present value of forest (NPV), and (iii) other project specific payments.
The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%.
The CAMPA funds are utilised for compensating the loss of forest land and ecosystem services by raising of compensatory afforestation, improving quality of forests through assisted natural regeneration, enrichment of biodiversity, improvement of wildlife habitat, control of forest fire, forest protection and soil and water conservation measures.
CAMPA activities are implemented by engaging local communities in afforestation, nursery raising, soil-water conservation and forest protection activities. The National Authority does not maintain any information related to job creation under various Projects/Schemes funded under National Fund, CAMPA.
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016 provides for audit of the accounts of both National and States/UTs CAMPA Authorities by the Comptroller and Auditor- General of India (C&AG).

Hakki Pikki tribe

Context: The Hakki Pikki tribe has captured national headlines after 31 members of the tribe were left stranded in Sudan where war suddenly broke out. The 31 had reached Sudan on a routine business trip to sell Ayurvedic medicines when fighting broke out among military factions in the country.

About Hakki Pikki tribe

According to SPPEL (Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages) established by Ministry of Education (Government of India), ‘Hakki-Pikki’ is one of the major tribal communities in Karnataka. The population is predominantly found in Shivamogga, Davanagere and Mysuru districts of Karnataka.
In Kannada, the word ‘Hakki’ stands for ‘bird' and ‘Pikki’ stands for the verb ‘to catch’. Therefore, the community is known as the ‘bird catcher,’ which is their traditional occupation.
According to the 2011 census, the population of Hakki-Pikki is 11,892. After their trade of bird hunting was outlawed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Their traditional habitat was taken away when the government established wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to conserve forests.
They are also known for knowledge of traditional and herbal medicine in high demand in African countries as they are less expensive than allopathic medicines. The popularity of the medicines turned the once bird-hunters to global traders of herbal medicine.
The Hakki-Pikkis are said to be a matriarchal group.
Despite being surrounded by Dravidian languages and living in southern India, the community speaks an Indo-Aryan language. Their mother tongue was designated 'Vaagri' by scholars. They communicate in 'Vaagri' at home but speak in Kannada when conducting daily business.
UNESCO has listed 'Vaagri' as one of the endangered languages.
The community is known for the strange names they give for their children. A father of a newborn often names his child based on the first thing that comes to his mind. The community has members with names such as Congress, Mysore Pak, Cycle etc.

Detection of radio signals from YZ Ceti b

Context: Astronomers have detected a repeating radio signal from exoplanet YZ Ceti b suggesting the presence of a magnetic field — one of the prerequisites for a habitable planet — around it.

Major Highlights

YZ Ceti b is a rocky, earth-sized exoplanet rotating around a small red dwarf star, YZ Ceti, barely 12 light-years from Earth.
Just as energy surges from the sun sometimes disrupt telecommunications on Earth and damage orbiting satellites, intense bursts of energy from the YZ Ceti star-exoplanet exchange produce spectacular auroral lights. This is seen indirectly in the form of the radio emission.
These radio waves, strong enough to be detected from Earth, confirmed the existence of an exoplanetary magnetic field. Such signals can only be produced if the exoplanet orbits very close to its parent star and has its own magnetic field to influence the stellar wind and generate the signals.
Survival of a planet’s atmosphere may depend on its having, or not having, a strong magnetic field, since the field protects its atmosphere from being eroded by the charged particles from its star.

What is the magnetic field of YZ Ceti b?

The discovery of a repeating radio signal from YZ Ceti b suggests that the planet has a magnetic field. This is important because a magnetic field can help to protect a planet from harmful solar radiation. Scientists are still trying to learn more about the magnetic field of YZ Ceti b, and how it could impact the planet's habitability.

How did YZ Ceti b form?

YZ Ceti b is thought to have formed in the same way that Earth did, through the accretion of dust and gas around a young star. However, there are some key differences between the formation of YZ Ceti b and the formation of Earth. For example, YZ Ceti b is orbiting a much smaller star than Earth, and it is also much closer to its star. These factors could have had a significant impact on the way that YZ Ceti b formed, and on its eventual habitability.

Bamboo based bio-refineries

Context: National Thermal Power Corporation, the largest power-generating utility in India, and Chempolis India, a leading Finnish bio-refining technology provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the feasibility of setting up a Bamboo-based Bio-Refinery in Bongaigaon, Assam.

Major Highlights

Chempolis will work with NTPC to conduct the feasibility study for the project which shall utilize bamboo for the production of 2G Ethanol, Bio-Coal for thermal power plant & other value-added products.
The proposed Bio-Refinery is planned as an integration project with NTPC Bongaigaon Power Plant, where all utility requirements such as steam, power, etc., shall be supplied from the power plant and the Bio-Coal produced by the Bio-Refinery shall partly replace coal in the power plant, effectively converting 5% of the generation of the power plant to green.
Significance: The project will support NTPC’s decarbonization efforts, create job opportunities and build a sustainable model by promoting the use of locally available resources.

What is a Bio-Refinery?

Biorefineries are processing facilities that convert biomass to energy and other value-added products such as biofuels, biochemicals, bioenergy/biopower, and other biomaterials.

National Policy on Biofuels

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas published the “National Policy on Biofuels" in 2018, which was further amended in June 2022.
The policy's objective is to reduce the import of petroleum products by fostering domestic biofuel production.

Salient Features of the National Policy on Biofuels

Oil Companies shall sell Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) with a percentage of ethanol up to 20% throughout the country from 01st April 2023.
A target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol is proposed by Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2025-26.
An indicative target of 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel /direct sale of biodiesel is proposed by 2030.
The Policy categorises biofuels as:
- "Basic Biofuels" viz. First Generation (1G) bioethanol & biodiesel
- "Advanced Biofuels" - Second Generation (2G) ethanol, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to drop-in fuels
- “Third Generation’’ (3G) biofuels, bio-CNG etc. to enable the extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category.
It expands the scope of raw materials for ethanol production by allowing the use of Sugarcane Juice, Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet Sorghum, Starch containing materials like Corn, Cassava, damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production.
It allows the use of surplus food grains for the production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs. 5000 crores in 6 years in addition to additional tax incentives, and a higher purchase price as compared to 1G biofuels.
It encourages the setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil, and short gestation crops.

National Quantum Mission

Context: Union Cabinet has approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) at a cost of Rs 6,003.65 crore. The mission will have defined milestones that are expected to be achieved over the course of eight years (2023-24 to 2030-31).

Quantum Technology

Quantum computers utilise the principles of quantum mechanics to perform certain types of computations much faster than classical computers.
- Quantum mechanics is a theory in physics that deals with the behaviour of matter and energy at the most fundamental level (at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles).
Classical computers process information using bits, which are either 0 or 1, whereas quantum computing uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can be in a superposition of both 0 and 1 states at the same time. This property of superposition allows quantum computers to perform certain types of calculations much faster than classical computers.
The power of a quantum computer scales exponentially with the number of qubits, unlike classical computers, which scale linearly with the number of bits.
The principle is used in semiconductors, lasers, Blu-ray, transistors, mobile phones, USB drives, MRI, electron microscopes, and even the basic light switch.

Major Highlights of the Mission

The new mission targets developing 20-50 physical ‘qubits’ in three years, 50-100 physical qubits in five years and intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1,000physical qubits in 8 years.
- In classical computing, the smallest and most basic unit of information that can be processed and stored is called a ‘bit’.
- In quantum computing, the basic unit of information is called a ‘qubit’.
Some of the deliverables of the Mission are:
- Developing satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2,000 kilometres within India
- long-distance secure quantum communications with other countries
- inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km
- multi-node quantum network with quantum memories.
The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems, and atomic clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation.
It will support the design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for the fabrication of quantum devices.
Single photon sources/detectors, and entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.
Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) would be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains of ‘quantum computing’, ‘quantum communication’, ‘quantum sensing and metrology’ and ‘quantum materials and devices’.
- The hubs will focus on the generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.

Challenges

Qubits are extremely delicate and prone to errors, and increasing the number of qubits while maintaining their stability is a major challenge in the development of quantum computers.

Significance

Presently, only six countries — the US, Finland, Austria, France, China and Canada — have some capability in this domain. The mission will bring India to the forefront along with them.
It will accelerate the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications and technology-led economic growth in the country.
It would greatly benefit communication, health, financial and energy sectors as well as drug design, and space applications.
It will provide a huge boost to “national priorities” like ‘Digital India’, ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’, ‘Stand-up India’, ‘Startup India’, ‘Self-reliant India’ and Sustainable Development Goals.
The technology will secure the country’s defence communication but also act as a deterrent, preventing the attempt to hack into India’s communication networks.

India’s quantum mission

India’s quantum mission has been in the works since 2018, when the Department of Science & Technology put out a call for proposals on projects related to the field of quantum computing.
QuEST (Quantum-Enabled Science & Technology) falls under the department’s Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS) division.