The report is released annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

• It is based on the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), which is a framework for benchmarking the current state and evolution of gender parity.
• The GGGI looks at 14 indicators across 4 key dimensions:
  1. Economic participation and opportunity
  2. Educational attainment
  3. Health and survival
  4. Political empowerment

The GGGI provides a comprehensive dataset for tracking progress on relative gaps between women and men across countries and regions over time. It's a widely referenced source for understanding global gender equality trends.

Key Findings

Global

• Among 146 countries, the top 5 countries for gender equality are Iceland, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, and Sweden.
• The share of women in parliamentary positions has shown an almost uninterrupted positive trajectory since 2006.
• At the current rate of progress, it will take 134 years to reach full parity.
• Women constitute 28.2% of the STEM workforce and 47.3% of the non-STEM workforce.

India Ranking:

• India was ranked 129th globally on gender inequality, down from 127th the previous year.
• India ranks 5th in South Asia, behind Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

Trends:

• India saw small declines in Educational Attainment and Political Empowerment.
• However, Economic Participation and Opportunity showed a slight improvement.

Education:

• India has high shares of women in primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollments.

Recommendations:

• Achieving gender parity by 2030 would require a collective investment of $360 billion per year.
• Targeted interventions and ensuring equitable access to emerging technologies are needed.
• Businesses should have effective diversity, equity and inclusion policies and upskilling programs.

Note:Gender Inequality Index (GII):

• The GII is a UNDP metric that measures gender inequality across three dimensions - reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.

 while India performs relatively well on education metrics, it continues to struggle with overall gender inequality, ranking low globally and in the South Asia region. Significant investments and targeted interventions will be required to achieve gender parity by 2030

The designation of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology by the United Nations serves several key purposes:

Raising Awareness: This initiative aims to increase global awareness and understanding of the transformative potential of quantum technologies. Quantum physics has made remarkable strides in recent decades, with applications ranging from quantum computing and quantum cryptography to quantum sensing and quantum communications.

Promoting Collaboration: The International Year provides a platform to foster international collaboration and knowledge-sharing among researchers, scientists, engineers, and policymakers working in the quantum field. This can help accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies worldwide.

Educating the Public: Through outreach programs, educational initiatives, and public events, the International Year seeks to demystify quantum science and technology for the general public. This will help inspire the next generation of quantum scientists and technologists.

Highlighting Societal Benefits: Quantum technologies have the potential to revolutionize various industries, from finance and healthcare to climate modeling and national security. Showcasing these real-world applications can demonstrate the societal and economic benefits of investing in quantum research and innovation.

Driving Technological Advancements: The increased global attention and coordinated efforts during the International Year are expected to spur further advancements in quantum science and technology, potentially leading to breakthroughs with far-reaching impacts.

2025 marks 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, which was pioneered by German physicist Werner Heisenberg.

This global initiative aims to strengthen national capacities in basic sciences and science education.

It also highlights the contribution of quantum science to our understanding of the physical universe, as well as the critical role of quantum science and technology in developing sustainable solutions.

About Quantum mechanics and its applications

Quantum Mechanics:

• Explains how tiny objects exhibit both particle and wave-like properties
• Provides the foundational principles for quantum technologies

Quantum Computing & Simulations:

• Uses qubits (subatomic particles) instead of classical bits
• Enables rapid processing of large datasets and complex calculations
• Advancing fields like healthcare, chemistry, logistics, and optimization

Quantum Communications:

• Includes post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution (QKD)
• QKD uses photons to transmit secure, random encryption keys

Quantum Sensing & Metrology:

• Uses individual particles like photons and electrons as highly sensitive sensors
• Improves measurement of forces, gravity, electric fields, and more

Quantum Materials & Devices:

• Development of quantum materials like superconductors and topological materials
• Enabling more efficient solar cells, LED lights, and climate modeling

The diverse applications of quantum technologies are rapidly advancing and transforming numerous industries. This overview highlights the incredible potential of quantum phenomena to revolutionize computing, communications, sensing, and materials science

Challenges in Quantum Technology Development

Regulation:

• Need for standards and protocols for hardware, software, and communication interfaces to ensure compatibility and interoperability.
• Establishing clear ownership and licensing frameworks for quantum-related intellectual property.

Availability of Infrastructure:

• Building and maintaining sophisticated labs, specialized equipment, and high-performance computing facilities requires significant resources and continuous upgradation.

Scalability:

• Scaling up quantum computers to hundreds or thousands of qubits while maintaining high levels of coherence and low error rates remains a major challenge.

Maintaining Colder Environments and Error Correction:

• Quantum computers require extremely cold environments (within a few thousandths of a degree of absolute zero) to eliminate thermal noise and vibrations.
• Developing reliable error correction techniques is essential for building practical quantum computers.

Other Challenges:

• Need for new programming languages, compilers, and optimization tools to effectively utilize the power of quantum computers.
• India's spending on Research & Development remains low at around 0.64% of GDP, with the private sector contributing less than 40% (compared to over 70% in developed countries).

India's Initiatives in Quantum Technology

National Quantum Mission (2023):

• Aims to seed, nurture, and scale up scientific and industrial R&D
• Create a vibrant and innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology

Quantum Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST):

• A research program to build quantum capabilities

Quantum Computing Applications Lab (QCAL):

• To accelerate quantum computing-led research and development
• Enable new scientific discoveries

Other Initiatives:

• National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NMQTA)
• Qsim – Quantum Computer Simulator Toolkit
• Quantum Frontier mission of Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC)
• Setting up of dedicated labs and centers at a military engineering institute at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh

Way ahead

Attract Private Investment:

• Implement tax breaks and financial incentives to encourage private companies to invest in quantum research and development.
• Offer grants and other funding mechanisms to support private sector participation in quantum initiatives.
• Establish public-private partnership models to leverage expertise and resources from both the public and private domains.

Promote Regional Infrastructure Development:

• Allocate resources to build quantum research infrastructure and facilities in various regions across India.
• This will help foster broader participation, talent distribution, and decentralized growth of the quantum ecosystem.

Establish a Dedicated Regulatory Body:

• Create a central regulatory authority focused on quantum technologies.
• This body should be responsible for drafting and implementing relevant regulations to govern the development and deployment of quantum systems.

Facilitate Technology Transfer:

• Develop mechanisms to bridge the gap between academic quantum research and commercial applications.
• Enable private companies to access and utilize cutting-edge quantum technologies developed through academic and public research.

Strengthen the IPR Regime:

• Establish transparent and efficient frameworks for the ownership, licensing, and technology transfer of quantum-related intellectual property.
• This will help protect innovations and encourage further private investment and commercialization.

The concept of NOTA (None of the Above) in Indian elections provides voters with an option to formally reject all candidates and express their dissatisfaction with the electoral choices. Here’s a concise overview based on your details:

Introduction and Purpose

• Introduced: NOTA was introduced in the 2013 Assembly elections and the 2014 General Lok Sabha elections, following a Supreme Court ruling in the PUCL vs Union of India case.
• Purpose: Its main objectives are to:
  • Allow voters to express disapproval or lack of confidence in all candidates.
  • Ensure voter secrecy.
  • Reduce bogus voting.
  • Force political parties to field more credible candidates.

Applicability

• Rajya Sabha Elections: NOTA is not applicable in Rajya Sabha elections due to the indirect nature of these elections. The Supreme Court ruled that introducing NOTA could lead to issues like corruption and horse-trading in this context.

Impact

• Voter Dissatisfaction: NOTA serves as a measure of voter dissatisfaction, highlighting the number of voters unhappy with the candidates.
• Victory Margins: It can affect the victory margins by diverting potential votes from candidates.
• Ballot Secrecy: It helps in protecting the secrecy of the voter’s choice while allowing them to reject all candidates.

What If NOTA Gets the Most Votes?

• If NOTA receives the highest number of votes in a constituency, the candidate with the next highest number of valid votes (runner-up) wins the election. This situation has not yet occurred in Lok Sabha elections.

Current Legal Developments

• The Supreme Court is currently considering a petition to create guidelines for declaring elections "null and void" if NOTA receives the highest number of votes in a constituency. This could significantly impact electoral processes if implemented.

NOTA plays a crucial role in the democratic process by giving voters a formal way to express their dissatisfaction, although it doesn’t influence the final outcome directly unless changes to its legal framework are made.

It looks like the petition addresses a scenario where the State Election Commissions in Maharashtra, Haryana, Puducherry, Delhi, and Chandigarh have issued directives regarding the NOTA (None Of The Above) option in local elections.

1. NOTA as a "Fictional Electoral Candidate": The petition refers to instances where the State Election Commissions have classified NOTA as a "Fictional Electoral Candidate." This means that NOTA is treated as if it were an actual candidate in the sense that its performance in elections affects the process.
2. Directive for Fresh Elections: The SECs in these states and union territories have issued orders stipulating that if NOTA receives more votes than any individual candidate, then the election should be considered invalid for those positions, and a fresh election should be held.
3. Application to Various Elections: This rule is applied to different types of local elections, including those for panchayats and municipal bodies.

This approach is likely intended to address situations where voters collectively express a strong preference against all candidates by choosing NOTA, thereby necessitating new elections to provide a better selection of candidates or improve the election process.