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In manifesto, scientists oppose ‘militarisation’ of quantum research

February 22, 2026 5 min read Science & Technology Internal Security GS3
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What Happened

  • Over 250 quantum scientists globally published a manifesto on arXiv (January 13, 2026) under the title "Quantum Scientists for Disarmament," urging the scientific community to resist the militarisation of quantum research.
  • The manifesto proposes four immediate actions: speaking collectively against military applications of quantum science, forcing an ethics debate within the field, creating a forum for concerned researchers, and establishing a public database of defence-funded quantum projects at universities.
  • In contrast, India's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan released the Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework on January 22, 2026 — a comprehensive roadmap to integrate quantum technologies across the tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force).
  • The Indian framework integrates four pillars: Quantum Communication, Quantum Computing, Quantum Sensing and Metrology, and Quantum Materials and Devices.
  • The tension highlights a global debate: quantum technologies with dual-use potential (civilian research and military applications) are increasingly being claimed by defence establishments worldwide.

Static Topic Bridges

India's National Quantum Mission (NQM) and Military Quantum Framework

India has made quantum technology a national priority through both civilian and military policy frameworks, allocating substantial resources to establish itself as a global leader.

  • The Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) on April 19, 2023, with a total budget of Rs. 6,003.65 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2030-31.
  • NQM targets: intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1,000 physical qubits; satellite-based quantum communication over 2,000 km within India; quantum key distribution (QKD) networks between cities; and multi-node quantum networks with quantum memories.
  • The NQM falls under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and is administered through four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) at premier institutions.
  • The Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework (January 22, 2026) is a separate, defence-specific layer built on top of the civilian NQM — focusing on battlefield applications including quantum radar, quantum-secured communications, and quantum navigation.
  • CDS Chauhan's framework is designed to embed quantum capabilities in all three services and achieve "technological dominance" on the future battlefield.

Connection to this news: The global scientists' manifesto directly challenges the approach India's military has adopted — the militarisation of quantum research — arguing that military funding creates conflicts of interest and can divert civilian research capacity.

Quantum Technologies: Dual-Use Nature and Security Implications

Quantum technologies represent a new class of "dual-use" technologies — those with both civilian research value and transformative military potential.

  • Quantum Computing: Threatens to break current public-key encryption (RSA, ECC) by efficiently solving the prime factorization and discrete logarithm problems — with direct implications for national security communications.
  • Quantum Communication (QKD): Enables theoretically unbreakable encryption using quantum key distribution — important for securing military communications and nuclear command-and-control.
  • Quantum Sensing: Enables detection of submarines (via quantum gravimeters), stealth aircraft (quantum radar), and precise navigation without GPS — all major military applications.
  • Quantum Cryptography: Post-quantum cryptography standards are being developed by NIST (U.S.) and standardized globally — India's adoption timeline is tied to NQM goals.
  • Countries with advanced quantum military programs: U.S., China, Russia, UK, EU (via Quantum Flagship), and now India — creating a potential "quantum arms race."

Connection to this news: The scientists' manifesto targets precisely this dual-use concern — quantum sensing for navigation and quantum computing for code-breaking have obvious weapons applications that academics argue should not drive research agendas.

Science, Ethics, and the Role of Scientists in Security Policy

The debate over the militarisation of quantum research revives broader questions about the ethical responsibility of scientists in national security research.

  • Historical precedents include the Manhattan Project (1942-1945) and subsequent debates among nuclear physicists (led by figures like J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Pugwash Conferences from 1957 onward) about scientific responsibility for weapons development.
  • The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, established after the Russell-Einstein Manifesto (1955), won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995 for addressing dangers of weapons of mass destruction.
  • The Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty debate and the Biological Weapons Convention (1972) reflect how scientific communities have previously shaped arms control frameworks.
  • In India, the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020 emphasizes open science and responsible innovation, but does not explicitly address military-civilian research boundaries.
  • The Department of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has traditionally managed the civil-military boundary in Indian defence research, but quantum research represents a genuinely new frontier.

Connection to this news: The 250+ signatories of the quantum manifesto are invoking this same tradition of scientific responsibility — arguing that the field should establish its own ethical norms before military establishments set the agenda.

India's Quantum Ecosystem: Institutions and Governance

India's quantum research governance involves multiple institutions, each with different mandates and stakeholders.

  • National Quantum Mission (NQM): Civilian, under DST; focused on fundamental and applied research, industrial R&D, and startup ecosystem.
  • DRDO: Has its own quantum research programs under its Microelectronics and Computational Division, focused on defence applications.
  • C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing): Involved in quantum computing infrastructure and high-performance computing.
  • IITs and IISc: Primary academic institutions for quantum research; increasingly sought by both DST (civilian grants) and DRDO (defence contracts).
  • Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework: Created a unified tri-services quantum roadmap — first time Indian armed forces have a unified quantum doctrine.
  • The growing demand from DRDO and the armed forces for quantum expertise creates competition for the same pool of researchers trained under NQM — the structural tension the scientists' manifesto highlights.

Connection to this news: The manifesto's proposal for a public database of defence-funded quantum projects at universities is directly relevant to India, where NQM-funded institutions are simultaneously being approached for military quantum contracts.

Key Facts & Data

  • Scientists' manifesto published: arXiv, January 13, 2026; signatories: 250+
  • Military Quantum Mission Policy Framework released: January 22, 2026 (by CDS General Anil Chauhan)
  • National Quantum Mission (NQM) approved: April 19, 2023
  • NQM budget: Rs. 6,003.65 crore (2023-24 to 2030-31)
  • NQM qubit target: 50-1,000 physical qubits in 8 years
  • NQM quantum communication target: satellite-based QKD over 2,000 km within India
  • NQM under: Department of Science and Technology (DST)
  • Military framework's four pillars: Quantum Communication, Quantum Computing, Quantum Sensing & Metrology, Quantum Materials & Devices
  • Pugwash Conferences (from 1957) won Nobel Peace Prize: 1995
  • Russell-Einstein Manifesto: 1955 (preceded Pugwash)
  • Post-quantum cryptography standards: being finalized by NIST (U.S.)
  • STIP 2020: India's Science, Technology and Innovation Policy