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Relevance: GS-III (Science and Technology, IT, Computers, Indigenization of Technology) Source: Science & Tech Journals / Govt of India, 2026

1 · What is the context?

Imagine a computer so powerful that it solves in seconds what today’s best supercomputers would take thousands of years to figure out. Welcome to the world of Quantum Computing.
Currently, we are in the “NISQ” (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) era. This means our new quantum machines are incredibly fast, but very unstable and “noisy”—they make a lot of errors. Tech giants like Google and IBM are in a global race to fix this “noise” and build the world’s first flawless, commercial quantum computer.

2 · How does Quantum Computing actually work?

Normal computers process information using basic bits (which are exactly 0 or 1). Quantum computers use Qubits (Quantum bits), which operate on the mind-bending rules of quantum physics.

The Spinning Coin
Superposition
A qubit can be a 0, a 1, or both at the exact same time. Think of a spinning coin—it is both heads and tails until it lands. This allows quantum computers to process massive amounts of data all at once.
The Magic Connection
Entanglement
Qubits can be invisibly linked together. If you change the state of one qubit, the other changes instantly, even if they are miles apart. This creates lightning-fast, parallel processing speeds.
The Big Problem
Decoherence (Noise)
Qubits are extremely fragile. A tiny bit of heat or stray light destroys their calculation (called decoherence). To survive, they must be kept inside giant freezers near absolute zero (-273 °C).
The Breakthrough
Fixing the Errors
Right now, quantum computers make a lot of errors. Recently, Google found a way to force multiple weak “physical qubits” to act together as one strong, stable “logical qubit” to fix this issue.

  • Why India cares: To make sure we don’t miss this tech revolution, the Indian government launched the massive National Quantum Mission (NQM).
  • The Security Threat: Future quantum computers will easily hack today’s passwords. We urgently need new “Post-Quantum” encryption to protect our UPI banking, national digital identity databases, and military secrets.
  • Saving Lives and the Planet: These computers will also help scientists simulate complex molecules to discover life-saving drugs faster, and perfectly model climate change to help agriculture.

UPSC Prelims Quick Facts
National Quantum Mission (NQM) Approved with a budget of ₹6,003.65 crore (2023 to 2031) to build an intermediate-scale quantum computer (50-1000 qubits) within 8 years.
India’s Global Rank India is the 7th country in the world to launch a dedicated national quantum mission.
NQM Hubs Four special centers of excellence: Computing (IISc Bengaluru), Communication (IIT Madras), Sensing (IIT Bombay), and Materials (IIT Delhi).
Decoherence The process where a qubit loses its special quantum state because of outside interference (like heat or light).

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to Quantum Computing and India’s related initiatives, consider the following statements:

  1. A qubit can exist in a state of 0 and 1 simultaneously due to a property known as superposition.
  2. India is the first country in the world to launch a dedicated National Quantum Mission.
  3. “Decoherence” refers to the process of networking two quantum computers securely over long distances.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only    (b) 1 and 2 only    (c) 2 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: Superposition is the fundamental principle that allows a qubit to be in multiple states (0, 1, or both) at the same time, unlike traditional computer bits.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): India is actually the 7th country globally to launch a dedicated National Quantum Mission, not the first.
  • Statement 3 — Incorrect: Decoherence is the loss or destruction of a qubit’s quantum state due to environmental interference (like heat), leading to calculation errors. It is not a networking term.
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