Mohali

June 6, 2025

C-DAC Mohali organized a one-week Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on Quantum Computing Insights for Educators: Concepts and Applications from June 2nd-6th, 2025, at Chandigarh University. This initiative is a part of the project "Development of Quantum Machine Learning: Use Cases and Applications". It's supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, as a component of their efforts to build capacity in this field.The FDP brought together 100 faculty members, researchers, and domain experts with the goal of deepening their academic and practical understanding of quantum computing.

The inaugural session, held on June 2nd, 2025, was marked by the presence of eminent dignitaries from C-DAC, IISER, and Chandigarh University. Prof. Manpreet Singh Manna, Vice Chancellor of Chandigarh University, warmly welcomed the attendees, followed by an inaugural address by Shri. V.K. Sharma, Scientist-G and Centre Head, C-DAC Mohali. In his address, Shri. Sharma shared insights into C-DAC's core quantum initiatives and commended both organizing teams for launching the FDP under the guidance of MeitY. The Chief Guest, Prof. Kavita Dorai from IISER Mohali, delivered an inspiring keynote address, setting a strong academic foundation for the week.

Programme Highlights:

Day 1: Commenced with a deep dive into the fundamental concepts of quantum computing and the emergence of the second quantum revolution. Dr. Neel Kanth Kundu from IIT Delhi delivered an insightful technical session, which was followed by practical hands-on training using Qiskit and Python, conducted by Dr. Gurmohan Singh and his team from C-DAC Mohali.

Day 2:The day began with an insightful session on core quantum gates and algorithms by Dr. Gurmohan Singh, setting a strong foundation for the day's technical discussions. This was followed by sessions on key quantum algorithms: Quantum Teleportation andSuperDense Coding by Dr. Manjit Kaur, and Grover's Quantum Search along with Shor's Prime Factorization Algorithm by Dr. Tarun Kumar. The sessions were enriched with live demonstrations and interactive hands-on activities, effectively bridging theory with practical application.

Day 3: The spotlight was on quantum simulation tools and their integration with High-Performance Computing (HPC). Sh. Vivek Nainwal, Scientist-E from C-DAC Hyderabad, introduced India's indigenous QSim Toolkit, followed by technical sessions by Shri. Amit Saxena, C-DAC Pune and Shri. Nasir Ali, C-DAC Noida on advanced simulation and emulation techniques. The participants were introduced to quantum feature mapping models by Dr. Tarun Kumar.

Day 4: The focus was on advanced topics in Quantum Machine Learning (QML), including quantum neural networks and hybrid AI-quantum models. Ms. Sonali Koli, C-DAC Mohali delivered about quantum machine learning algorithms and their application areas. Practical demonstrations highlighted real-world applications such as quantum-assisted image classification, presented by Shri. Shivanshu Siyanwal and Shri. Saiyam Sakhuja, C-DAC Noida. The day concluded with an expert talk and demonstration by Shri. Tapas Saini, C-DAC Hyderabad on autoencoder-based QML techniques for image classification.

Day 5: The final day focused on the application of quantum technologies in education and research. Dr. Santosh Vipparthi from IIT Ropar delivered a very informative session on quantum computer vision. Ms. Sumera delivered a hand-on-session on brain tumor classification using quantum support vector machines (SVM). The programme concluded with a session by Prof. Amlan Chakrabarti from the University of Calcutta, who discussed strategies for integrating quantum computing into academic curricula and research initiatives.

The programme wrapped up with a Valedictory Ceremony. Dr. Manjit Kaur delivered the FDP Concluding Address, followed by an inspiring address from Prof. Manpreet Singh Manna, the Vice Chancellor of Chandigarh University. Shri. Ajay Mudgil, Scientist-E &HoD, Education & Training, C-DAC Mohali, was the Chief Guest and gave the valedictory address, sharing insights with the participants. The ceremony concluded with participants providing feedback, receiving their certificates, a group photograph, and high tea.

This FDP proved to be an enriching and transformative learning experience, equipping educators with the tools and confidence to integrate quantum computing into their teaching and research pursuits.