India

Livemint | English | News | Dec. 3, 2025 | UndeterminedEmployment

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is facing significant manpower shortages, with nearly half of its sanctioned posts vacant. Of 1,630 sanctioned positions, 801 remain unfilled as of late 2025, prompting the DGCA to resort to short-term contractual hires, usually for one year, to bridge the gap. Despite creating 441 new posts since 2022, predominantly technical roles, about 50% of positions remain vacant, and the overall sanctioned strength has slightly decreased.

Between 2020 and 2025, the DGCA workforce increased from 762 to 878 employees, but unfilled positions rose from 471 to 814, even as India’s commercial aircraft fleet expanded from 566 to 780 planes. This growth has outpaced staffing, raising concerns about the regulator’s capacity to maintain effective oversight and air safety. Officials claim that the shortage has not yet impacted surveillance plans, but critics highlight ongoing risks.

Experts warn that the short-term hiring approach is insufficient to address structural staffing deficits. Aviation specialists note that with nearly 2,000 aircraft requiring inspection and only 830 DGCA staff, each inspector is responsible for multiple aircraft, far exceeding global staffing averages. Short-term contracts cover only a fraction of the gap, and persistent recruitment challenges stem from unattractive job terms and low incentives. Without systematic, ongoing recruitment, the DGCA’s effective regulatory capacity could significantly diminish as the aviation sector continues to grow rapidly.

Vivekananda International Foundation | English | AcademicThink | Dec. 3, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Quantum computing emerges from nearly a century of scientific developments in quantum mechanics, which revealed that matter and energy at the subatomic level exhibit dual particle-wave behavior governed by principles such as uncertainty, superposition, entanglement, interference, and decoherence. Unlike classical binary computing based on bits (0 or 1), quantum computing uses qubits that can exist simultaneously in multiple states, enabling highly complex and multidimensional computations that vastly exceed classical capabilities.

Globally, countries including the US, China, Russia, Canada, Germany, and India are advancing quantum computing and communication technologies. China has established the world's first extensive quantum communication network spanning 4,600 km, while Japan and Russia are advancing toward 100 and 1,000 qubit computers respectively. The US is pursuing a quantum internet and investing heavily in workforce development in this field.

Military applications stand to benefit significantly from quantum computing’s security and computational advantages. Quantum key distribution and entangled quantum networks promise ultra-secure communications, while superposition and entanglement improve battlefield sensing, terrain and weather mapping, and decision-making speed and accuracy. Quantum technology could revolutionize submarine communications by enabling undetectable, high-bandwidth data transfer at optimal depths, overcoming the limitations of current low-frequency systems.

Currently, quantum computing complements rather than replaces classical binary systems; quantum technology is suited for complex problems and specialized scenarios where digital systems are inadequate. The high costs and technical challenges of maintaining quantum hardware, such as ultra-low temperature superconductors, limit widespread adoption, though more affordable quantum devices using photons, free electrons, and phonons are being developed.

India’s strategic initiatives include the National Quantum Mission approved in 2023 with a budget of Rs 6,000 crores spanning 2023-2031. Research is underway in over 100 universities, supported by industry collaborations like Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, which partners with Israel. Indian startups have developed significant quantum computing hardware including a 64-qubit chip (Kaveri) and a 25-qubit full-stack computer (Indus), with quantum communication trials over 100 km successfully conducted. Commercial availability of these technologies is expected by mid-2026.

Quantum computing offers enhanced security, complex scientific problem-solving, and improved communication capabilities, particularly for military use. Despite rapid advancements and strategic investments, including in India, quantum computing is still evolving and unlikely to fundamentally change the nature of warfare, which remains driven by geopolitical and human factors, with technology serving as an enabler rather than a transformative force.

The Hindu | English | News | Dec. 3, 2025 | Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

Complaints of GPS spoofing, involving counterfeit satellite signals affecting aircraft, have been reported at multiple Indian airports including Kolkata, Amritsar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. The Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that some flights near Delhi airport also experienced GPS spoofing incidents in early November 2025, which affected aircraft position data and terrain warnings.

Following these events, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) requested the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) to identify the sources of interference and have mobilized additional resources to trace the spoofing based on information from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and AAI. These GPS disruptions have become increasingly common near India’s borders with Pakistan and Myanmar, where spoofing is used to counter drone activities.

Indian defense forces later issued notices alerting aviators to possible GNSS signal disruptions near Mumbai and Kolkata due to military exercises. The incidents near Delhi were widely believed to be linked to Indian military activities, specifically the tri-service exercises including the Indian Air Force’s Exercise MahaGujRaj-25 conducted in north-western India during the same period.