In a significant advancement for high-performance computing in eastern India, the first Param Rudra supercomputer has been inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology Patna. This facility represents a critical step forward under India’s National Supercomputing Mission, aimed at bolstering the region’s scientific and technological capabilities.
The Param Rudra supercomputer was officially launched on Friday, positioning IIT Patna as the first institution in Bihar to host such a state-of-the-art facility. The inauguration was conducted by Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Officials hailed this development as a transformative step, allowing researchers to conduct complex computational tasks locally, thereby reducing reliance on external facilities.
The establishment of the supercomputer aligns with the National Supercomputing Mission, a flagship initiative designed to enhance India’s computational infrastructure. To date, 37 supercomputers have been deployed across the country, boasting a combined capacity of 39 petaFLOPS, which supports over 12,000 researchers. Plans are in place for ten more systems, expected to elevate India’s total computational capacity to exceed 100 petaFLOPS in future phases.
T N Singh, Director of IIT Patna, remarked that the facility would usher in “revolutionary changes” for Bihar and its neighboring regions. The Param Rudra supercomputer is anticipated to benefit around 60 faculty members and nearly 400 students across ten departments. It will facilitate advanced research in fields such as computational astrobiology, material design, molecular electronics, fluid mechanics, nano-bio interfaces, artificial intelligence, data science, and quantum computing.
Officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology emphasized that the mission aims to foster the development of indigenous technologies, including high-performance computing processors, servers, cooling systems, interconnects, and software stacks. The Param Rudra facility at IIT Patna is expected to play a pivotal role in establishing a robust domestic supercomputing ecosystem while enhancing research productivity and innovation across academic institutions in eastern India.
Q1. What is the significance of the Param Rudra supercomputer?
Answer: The Param Rudra supercomputer enhances computational capabilities in Bihar, supporting advanced research and reducing reliance on external facilities.
Q2. How does the National Supercomputing Mission impact research in India?
Answer: The National Supercomputing Mission provides essential infrastructure, increasing computational capacity and enabling researchers to perform complex analyses.
Q3. What fields will benefit from the Param Rudra supercomputer?
Answer: It will support research in computational astrobiology, material design, AI, data science, fluid mechanics, and quantum computing, among others.
Q4. How many supercomputers are planned under the National Supercomputing Mission?
Answer: Ten additional supercomputers are planned, aiming to boost India's total computational capacity beyond 100 petaFLOPS.
Q5. Who inaugurated the Param Rudra supercomputer?
Answer: Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, inaugurated the facility.
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the Param Rudra supercomputer?
A) To support local computational research
B) To reduce reliance on international supercomputers
C) To enhance data storage capabilities
D) To provide educational resources
Correct Answer: A
Question 2: Which ministry oversees the National Supercomputing Mission?
A) Ministry of Science and Technology
B) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
C) Ministry of Education
D) Ministry of Research and Development
Correct Answer: B
Question 3: How many supercomputers have been deployed under the National Supercomputing Mission as of now?
A) 25
B) 30
C) 37
D) 50
Correct Answer: C
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