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.

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.

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.

The 1974 Pokhran Nuclear Test: Smiling Buddha

Operation Smiling Buddha, Happy Krishna, and Pokhran-I are some of the names of the first successful nuclear experiment conducted by India. It was detonated in the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan under the supervision of Indian Generals. This was characterized as a Peaceful Nuclear Explosion (PNE).

It was significant because India was the first country outside of the 5 permanent members belonging to UNSC, to conduct a nuclear experiment. Secondly, India decided to carry out the experiment during a period of political scandals and changes.

Execution of the First Test

The first Pokhran nuclear test was conducted in 1974. It was done under the Indira Gandhi administration in extreme secrecy and the details were kept confidential from almost all the ministers. Even the Defense Minister got to know about the nuclear test after it was completed and announced and the External Affairs Minister got only a 48-hour notice before the experiment was done.

The head of the Nuclear Project was Raja Ramanna and it was supervised by Homi Sethna, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (ACE). To preserve the secrecy of the test, they employed no more than 75 scientists throughout 1967-1974.

The bomb detonated 107 meters below in a shaft in the Thar Desert to have a lesser impact on the land and cause less harm to the settlement around the area.

National and International Reaction

• On a National level, the reaction to the Pokhran Nuclear Tests was extremely positive and surged Indira Gandhi and the Congress Party’s popularity which was already in steady growth since the India-Pakistani war in 1971.
• However, the international perspective was quite contradictory. The Nucle­ar Suppliers Group (NSG) came into existe­nce with the aim to halt the distribution of e­quipment that might be useful in cre­ating nuclear arms.
• Pakistan announced that they would not let India take over the sub-continent and saw it as a serious threat. This pushed Pakistan into the nuclear arena.

Pokhran-II Tests in 1998

The Narasimha Rao government started another nuclear program but it was unfortunately detected by the US spy satellites. India received a lot of criticism and sanctions internationally for this.

The ye­ar 1998 saw the project moving forward under Prime­ Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This series of tests were named Operation Shakti. Further, the 5 test bombs would be known as Shakti-I, Shakti-II, and so on. But have come to be known as Pokhran-II in recent years. It was a series of 5 detonations out of which 1 was a fusion bomb while the rest were fission bombs.

Unlike Pakistan, India did not have any area where they could clandestinely conduct the nuclear test. Hence, Pokhran which is a remote desert in Rajasthan was selected. The test was conducted in the month of May when the wind would blow and cause sandstorms.

The sandstorms would cause an obstruction to the view of the spy satellites. It was also selected because Rajasthan tends to get very hot in the summer months. The sensitive infrared signals would not be able to pick up any such activity if the temperature goes above 50 degrees in the daytime.

Advancements and Preparations for the Second Test

Dr. Abdul Kalam and Dr. R Chidambaram were the directors of the program. The 58th Engineer Regiment of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers was instructed to prepare the test sites to avoid any detection by spy satellites.

• Bomb shafts were dug under camouflage nets and the dug-out sand was shaped to look like dunes.
• Cable wires for censors were concealed using sand and growing vegetation on it
• The technical staff were supposed to wear military uniforms on-site to camouflage and avoid any sort of detection by spy satellites
• Scientists would arrive in locations near Pokhran under a pseudonym and were transported to the location by the army

Execution and Global Impact

The second nuclear test conducted at Pokhran in 1998 came as a surprise to everyone especially since a new government had come to power just a few months ago.

• Pakistan saw this as a threat and sped up its nuclear operations to conduct its test on 30th May 1998. They also went on to accuse India of starting a race for nuclear warfare in the Indian Subcontinent.
• The United States of America condemned the nuclear tests and declared to stop all sorts of aid to be provided to India except for Humanitarian aid.
• China claimed that the nuclear tests conducted in Pokhran by India served as a threat to the peace and stability of South Asia.

Conclusion – Pokhran Nuclear Test

The nuclear tests conducted in Pokhran helped India take a stand in International Politics. With huge difficulties, India managed to become the first country apart from the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to conduct a nuclear test. It declared that India is a responsible state in possession of nuclear powers with great nonproliferation records. It cleared the air by stating that India had no intention of manufacturing nuclear weapons but wanted to make India self-reliant in the field of nuclear technology. India successfully announced itself as a nuclear nation while facing intense worldwide criticism and pressure to enter the CTBT and give up its nuclear weapons. India has demonstrated to the world that it is a responsible country that has not misused nuclear power in the years following the nuclear tests.

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FAQs on Pokhran Nuclear Test

Where did India test its nuclear weapons?

India conducted its nuclear tests in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

What is Operation Smiling Buddha?

Operation Smiling Buddha is the first nuclear test done by India in 1974. It was done under Indira Gandhi.

What was the international reaction to Pokhran-II?

India’s second nucle­ar test at Pokhran in 1998 triggered wide­spread disapproval globally. In response, the­ U.S. pledged to withhold its aid, exce­pt for humanitarian assistance. Countries like Pakistan and China which are neighbours to India claimed that this was bound to threaten the South Asian countries.

What were the difficulties faced during Pokhran-II?

India did not have any place where they could conduct the nuclear test while hiding. They chose Pokhran because of its isolation from settlement which would cause the least amount of harm. They had to come up with creative ideas to disguise themselves and the equipment.

Who headed Pokhran-II?

Dr. Abdul Kalam and Dr R Chidambaram were the directors of Pokhran-II.