QR3: India’s earlier contribution to Quantum :
An important reason for suggesting the learning of Quantum at School itself is to develop pride in our own Scientists and their fundamental contributions at the Quantum level which have perhaps been unjustly ignored. The Raman effect for which Sir CV Raman was conferred the Nobel Prize in 1930 was essentially a ‘Quantum’ effect. Satyendra Bose after whom a class of particles have been named Bosons ( remember Higgs Boson) has also made fundamental contributions. Another great Indian Scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose had demonstrated that plants also conform to the laws of Physics, which we now believe is Quantum Mechanics.
SN Bose was the first who considered photons as indistinguishable particles and thus rejected the use of Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution law for photons. His interpretation led to the development of Bose-Einstein statistics for studying particles like photons. Paul Dirac named particles obeying Bose-Einstein statistics as Bosons in his honor.
Meghnad Saha was an astrophysicist who derived the equation known as Saha equation, combining quantum and statistical mechanics. This equation related the ionization state of an element to the surrounding temperature and pressure and is used for stellar classification of stars.
Do watch this short video clip from ‘ the Quantum Indians ‘ : https://youtu.be/zQC8o1KdX7s?si=BjwJ1rV5juJ6MPY8
It is not only in the distant past that Indians contributed to the Quantum field. More recently in 1996 Luv Grover developed a Quantum algorithm which has been recognised as a fundamental contribution.
Grover is a pioneer in quantum computing research and development. He authored the first quantum algorithm for database searches while he was a scientist at AT&T Bell Labs. Grover’s Algorithm markedly improves the speed, accuracy and efficiency of using large databases by employing quantum computing.
And very recently Professor Urbasi Sinha of the Raman Research Institute was granted a patent for ‘Method and system for generating cryptographic keys’ to the team led by her for their work on secure Quantum communication. The merit of the work lay in the versatility of the software for simulating Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) experiments.
The invention, qkdSim, provides a tool to design QKD, which circumvents the huge experimental trial-and-error approach. It overcomes the problem by applying the software development model Agifall, whose three-layered architecture conveniently abstracts simulation of real physical processes. qkdSim comprises distinct modules that model different physical processes and components and combine to simulate full end to end QKD. This simulation enables design and testing implementations for validation and optimization,” said Professor Sinha.
QKD is a globally relevant technology that is currently being pursued towards providing a new paradigm for data security that is based on laws of nature, in this case, laws of quantum mechanics.
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About mmpant
Prof. M.M.Pant has a Ph.D in Computational Physics, along with a Professional Law Degree, and has been a practitioner in the fields of Law, IT enabled education and IT implementation.
Drawing upon his experience in world class international institutions and having taught in various modes of Face-to-Face, Distance Learning and Technology Enhanced Training, Prof. Pant is now exploring the nature of institutions which will be successors to the IITs, which represented the 1960s, IIMs, which represented the 1970 and Open Universities which were the rage of 1980s & 90s.
He believes that the convergence between various media and technologies would fundamentally alter the way learning would be created, packaged, and delivered to learners. His current activities are all directed toward actual implementation of these new age educational initiatives that transform education in the post Internet post WTO era..
Prof. Pant, has been a Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and has been on the faculty of IIT – Kanpur (the premier Engineering institution in India), MLNR Engineering College and Faculty & Visiting Professor - University of Western Ontario-Canada.
He has been visiting scientist to research centers in Italy, England, Germany & Sweden and has delivered international lectures with about 80 papers published.
During his association of almost 15 years with the IGNOU, Prof. Pant has served as the Director Computing and has been the Member of All Bodies (i.e. School boards, Academic council, Planning board, Finance committee and the Board of management).
With his interest in Law, backed with practice of Law in a High Court, and his basic training in Science and IT, Prof. Pant has been particularly interested in the Cyber Law, Patent & trade mark issues, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues etc. and has been involved with many activities, conferences on “Law & IT”
Prof. Pant is presently;
• Advisor to Media Lab Asia - Chairman of working group on ICT for Education, chairman of PRSG handling projects on ICT for education.
• Lead Consultant for an ADB funded project for ICT in Basic Education in Uzbekistan
• Member of the drafting Group for India’s National Policy on ICT in education
• Chairman of the group creating books for class 11 and 12 students on ‘Computers and Communication Technology’ appointed by the NCERT
• Preparing a ‘Theme Paper” for the NCTE in the area of ICT and Teacher Training
• Advisor and mentor to several leading Indian and Multi-national Companies in the area of education.
Prof. Pant has in the recent past been ;
• Member – Board of Management – I I T, Delhi for 6 years (two consecutive terms)
• One-man committee to create the Project Report & Legislation for Delhi IT-enabled Open University
• Advisor to the Delhi Government on Asian Network of Major Cities Project (ANMC-21) distance learning project in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
• Chairman Board of Studies, All India Management Association
With his mission to create and implement new business opportunities in the area of e-learning & learning facilitation, Prof. Pant has promoted Planet EDU Pvt. Ltd., as its Founder & Chairman, along with a team of highly experienced and skilled professionals from Education & Training, Operations, IT and Finance.
