Smiling Buddha: India's 1st and World's 6th Country to Conduct Nuclear Test

NEW DELHI: On this day in the year 1974, India became the sixth country in the world to conduct a nuclear test with the peaceful test codenamed 'Smiling Buddha'.

Under the supervision of Raja Ramanna, then director of India's premier nuclear research institute Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) the test was conducted on May 18, 1974.

Why it was codenamed 'Smiling Buddha'?

The test was named 'Smiling Buddha' because it was conducted on Buddha Purnima that year. "The Buddha has smiled," Dr. Ramanna is learned to have told then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after the test.

Further with this test, India became the first country outside the five permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members to conduct the test.

Paying a tribute, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the test wrote a new chapter in India's nuclear energy.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel tweeted, "Exactly 46 years ago, a new chapter began in India's nuclear journey - Smiling Buddha. India became the first country, outside the 5 permanent UNSC members, to conduct a nuclear test. Our tributes to the leadership of our scientists, military officers and Indiraji for this feat."

How many Kilotons of TNT used in 'Smiling Buddha'?

Though the BARC never said anything about the yield of the device detonated at Pokhran, experts maintained that the actual yield was around 8-12 Kilotons of TNT. The key highlight of the test was that India managed to avoid detection by the United States and other intelligence agencies.

After the 1974 tests, India conducted five tests - three on May 11 and two on May 13, 1998. The tests codenamed 'Operation Shakti' were carried out again at the Pokhran test range when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

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