Background of India’s Nuclear Program
The Indian Nuclear Program was started by Homi Jehangir Bhabha as a senior scientist of Atomic Research in 1944. After the start of this program, the Indian cabinet added the Atomic Energy Commission as well, to deal with the direct matters regarding development and contracts with other superpower nations, such as America and Russia. The PM Jawaharlal Nehru chaired the Department of Atomic Energy and under the guidance of Homi J. Bhabha, the reserves of Uranium and Thorium in the reserves of South India.
Early Developments in Nuclear Science in India
- 1994: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was founded.
- 1998: The Atomic Energy Commission was established.
- 1962: India and China had a military conflict along the northern border and in 1964, China conducted a nuclear test to try and scare India more.
- 1963: India had four nuclear power reactors and two research reactors due to international support.
- 1967: China conducted another nuclear test which made India speed up their own test
- 18 May 1974: India conducted a 15kt peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE). The Western powers saw this as a violation of the Non-Prolifiterian Treaty and declared that they would cut off all technical assistance that was being provided to India till now.
The Road to Pokhran
After India’s nuclear tests in 1974, there was no further development of anything related to the project. Many external forces, however, during the 1990s forced India to go on and carry out a nuclear test. The following are some of them:
- Intelligence was obtained that Pakistan possessed ready-made nuclear weapons which China was providing.
- The then president of the United States of America, George W Bush refused to testify that Islamabad was not trying to obtain nuclear weapons from them.
- The United States was pushing to universalize the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) which would close the window for any other country apart from the existing ones trying to gain nuclear power.
- There were specific attempts to roll back the increasing nuclear capability of India and Pakistan.
Pokhran Nuclear Test
Pokhran Nuclear Test: The Pokhran Nuclear Test was conducted by the Indian Government twice. One was in 1974 and the other in 1998. It was done to strengthen India’s position in the international political arena. These tests declared India to be a nuclear power
The Pokhran Nuclear Tests hold great significance in India’s history as they evolved India’s security and International relations. It also caused a huge shift of power dynamics especially in South Asia.
In this article, we will look into the Pokhran Nuclear Test, including the background of India’s Nuclear Program, the 1974 Pokhran Test, and the Pokhran-II Test in 1988 in detail.
Table of Content
- What was the Pokhran Nuclear Test?
- Background of India’s Nuclear Program
- The 1974 Pokhran Nuclear Test: Smiling Buddha
- Pokhran-II Tests in 1998
What was the Pokhran Nuclear Test?
In 1974, India secretly detonated its first nuclear bomb, “Smiling Buddha,” at Pokhran, sparking international outcry but boosting national pride. In 1998, under “Operation Shakti,” India openly conducted five more tests, declaring itself a nuclear power despite further disapproval. These Pokhran blasts, while controversial, bolstered India’s security stance and scientific advancement, but reignited concerns about nuclear proliferation and ethical implications.
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