Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to brilliant scientists and their efforts that led to the successful Pokhran tests in 1998.
Sharing a video clip of the nuclear tests on National Technology Day, the PM also remembered the exemplary leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying he “showed outstanding political courage and statesmanship.”
“Today, on National Technology Day, we express gratitude to our brilliant scientists and their efforts that led to the successful Pokhran tests in 1998. We remember with pride the exemplary leadership of Atal Ji who showed outstanding political courage and statesmanship,” he tweeted.
The Pokhran-II tests were a series of five nuclear bomb test explosions conducted at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert.
After Operation Smiling Buddha in May 1974, this was the second time India had conducted nuclear testing.
After Operation Shakti, India became the sixth country to join the nuclear club
With the successful completion of the tests, India became the sixth country to join the nuclear club.
In a press conference after the tests, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said: “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. The measured yields are in line with expected values. Measurements have also confirmed that there was no release of radioactivity into the atmosphere. These were contained explosions like the experiment conducted in May 1974. I warmly congratulate the scientists and engineers who have carried out these successful tests.”
Dr. R. Chidambaram, the then Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Atomic energy described each one of the explosions to be equivalent to several tests carried out by other nuclear-weapon states.
