DST along with AICTE announces UG courses for quantum

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Wednesday announced a dedicated curriculum at the undergraduate level, to create a thriving quantum-trained ecosystem in India as part of the National Quantum Mission.

The curriculum will integrate theoretical knowledge with hands-on lab experience, aiming to deepen graduates' understanding of quantum technologies through a minor program in the subject at undergraduate level, said Professor Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India.

The National Quantum Mission from is a decisive step in accelerating the nation’s research and technology development in this field. Such research and technology development will require a highly skilled workforce through immediate initiatives in teaching and training, reported PIB.

The curriculum will help impart training for developing this workforce to enable them to reach global standards, and simultaneously address the multi-disciplinary needs of quantum technology development -- from basic to applied research.

“It is designed for undergraduate students to establish a strong foundational and advanced knowledge base keeping in mind the diversity in the institutions, and will enable all engineering students irrespective of their disciplines to undertake UG minor in quantum technologies from their third or fourth semester,” said Professor Abhay Karandikar, Secretary Department of Science and Technology.

The course structure includes all four verticals of Quantum Technology -- Quantum Computing, Quantum communications, Quantum sensing and metrology, Quantum materials and devices. 

The proposed curriculum constitutes a minimum of 18 credits with both theory and lab courses. Each course amounts to 3 credits (1 credit translating to 1 in-class contact hour per week for a theory course or 1 session of lab for 3 hours for a lab course), thereby making the minor program span a minimum of 6 courses.