Why was Pokhran selected for nuclear test?

It made India a nuclear power. The test was codenamed ‘Smiling Buddha’ and conducted on May 18, 1974. The name was chosen because the test was conducted on Buddha Purnima that year. After 1974, India again nuclear tests at same location (called Pokhran-II tests) in 1998 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister.

Who was the Defence Minister of India during Pokhran test?

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appeared before the press corps and made the following short statement: Today, at 15:45 hours, India conducted three underground nuclear tests in the Pokhran range. The tests conducted today were with a fission device, a low yield device and a thermonuclear device.

When was the first nuclear test performed?

July 16, 1945
The world’s first nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the barren plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, known as the Jornada del Muerto. Inspired by the poetry of John Donne, J.

Why are onions used to absorb nuclear radiation?

Onions used to absorb nuclear radiation in Pokhran In 1998, during the Pokhran nuclear test, tonnes of onions were buried along with nuclear bombs to absorb harmful radiations emitted during a nuclear explosion. Onions absorb the Gamma radiations that cause harmful changes in DNA.

What was the result of the nuclear test in India?

On 13 May 1998, two additional fission devices were detonated, and the Indian government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee shortly convened a press conference to declare India a full-fledged nuclear state. The tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by a number of major states, including Japan and the United States.

What is the main source of radiation exposure from nuclear energy?

Naturally occurring background radiation is the main source of exposure for most people, and provides some perspective on radiation exposure from nuclear energy. Much of it comes from primordial radionuclides in the Earth’s crust, and materials from it. Potasssium-40, uranium-238 and thorium-232 with their decay products are the main source.

When did Vajpayee decide to test nuclear weapons?

By 18 March 1998, Vajpayee publicly began lobbying for nuclear testing and declared that “there is no compromise on national security; all options including the nuclear options will be exercised to protect security and sovereignty.”