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| First Nuclear Test at Pokhran in 1974 |
First Nuclear Test at
Pokhran in 1974
"Smiling Buddha"
On
7 September 1972 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave authorization to the
scientists of Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) to manufacture the nuclear
device. Following this confirmation, they had designed and prepare it for a
test. The practical work of engineering to implementation on the paper design
began. Task started on surveying, locating and preparing a suitable test site.
This operation was a "Peaceful Nuclear Explosive" or PNE, but
commonly known as operation "Smiling
Buddha",
The
great secrecy involved in India's efforts to develop a nuclear device and test
its first nuclear explosive device, the project employed not more than 75
scientists and engineers. They were working on it from 1967 to 1974. This
needed to build and operate the infrastructure supporting BARC and to produce
the plutonium for the device.
The
test range was built by the Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.
The
team was headed by Rajagopala Chidambaram and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Later
became President of India), P. K. Iyengar, Raja Ramanna, Nagapattinam Sambasiva Venkatesan and Waman
Dattatreya Patwardhan. The project employed 75 scientists and engineers.
So, India did Nuclear Underground Test on 18th May 1974 and became the 6th nation to test atomic explosion.
This
test range was situated in Pokharan. Pokhran (also spelled Pokaran) is a city
in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote
location in the "Thar Desert" region and served as the test site for
India's first Peaceful underground nuclear weapon detonation.
After
the test, the Indian government declared that it did not intend to manufacture
nuclear weapons. It is just a peaceful testing to make India self-reliant in
nuclear technology and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
