Pokhran I: The event that ushered the nuclear era for Indian defence

Codenamed "Smiling Buddha", India became world's sixth nuclear power outside the five permanent members of the United Nations

It was on May 18, 1974, that India tested its first nuclear bomb successfully in Rajasthan's Pokhran.

After the test, codenamed "Smiling Buddha", India became the world's sixth nuclear power outside the  five permanent members of the United Nations, which are US, Soviet Union, Britain, France and China, to successfully test a nuclear bomb.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) characterised the test as a "peaceful nuclear explosion".

Here's a timeline of events leading to Pokhran-I

The nuclear programme was started in 1944 when Homi Jehangir Bhabha founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. 

Post-Independence, the then Prime Minister Jawaharhal Nehru authorised the programme and it was focused on peaceful development.

Under Bhabha, the programme steered towards weapon design and production, and from 1954 to 1959, research grew swiftly.

After Bhabha's death, physicist Raja Ramanna supervised the entire scientific research on nuclear weapons and was the first directing officer of a small team of scientists that carried out the tests.

When  Lal Bahadur Shastri became the prime minister, he appointed physicist Vikram Sarabhai as the head of the nuclear programme but, because of his Gandhian beliefs, he directed it toward peaceful purposes.

In 1967, when Indira Gandhi became the prime minister, the work on the nuclear programme resumed with renewed vigour.

In September 1972, Gandhi authorised the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to manufacture a nuclear device and prepare it for a test. The Indian Army's highest command was kept fully informed of the test preparations and were carried out under the watchful eyes of the political leadership, with civilian scientists assisting.

The device was formally called the "Peaceful Nuclear Explosive", but it was referred to as the Smiling Buddha.

Conducted under extreme secrecy, the device was detonated on May 18, 1974. Besides PM Gandhi, only advisers Parmeshwar Haksar and Durga Dhar were kept informed and no more than 75 civilian scientists were involved in the operation.

THE AFTERMATH

Even though the test was a success, it was followed by criticism from the global community.

The test was flagged immediately by the global super powers, as there was widespread outrage and concern over the move since this nuclear bomb was tested by the country, which was outside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the was tested without any warning to the international community.

The US took offense and barged into the nuclear society without any warning and then, blocked aid to India and imposed numerous sanctions.

The device tested was a fission device and there had been no release of radioactivity in the atmosphere.

Although, India has still not joined the 1970 nuclear non-proliferation treaty, claiming that the nuclear tests were for peaceful reasons, the nuclear deal between India and the United States showed that India's status as a responsible nuclear power has been accepted by the rest of the world.