Indian nuclear programme was conceived of in the pre-independence era under the influence of discoveries made in the field of atomic energy in western world when a small group of Scientists persuaded Indian leaders to exploit nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In this endeavour, India received assistance from a number of western countries particularly from U.S. under “Atoms for Peace” programme which was launched by Dwight D. Eisenhower to reach out to countries with minimal research capabilities in nuclear technology and know-how. However in 1962, India lost a border war with China which exposed the defence vulnerabilities of India and in 1964 China conducted its first nuclear test which greatly altered the strategic calculus of India and made India to divert its resources towards weapons development. In 1974, India conducted a Peaceful Nuclear Explosion and after a gap of 24 years it conducted five nuclear tests at Pokhran and declared itself a nuclear weapon state. This paper traces the evolution of India's nuclear weapons programme and examines various developments in Indian nuclear discourse and argues that Indian nuclear tests were not a response to an immediate security threat but were conducted to bolster political fortunes.
Nuclear energy, nuclear test, security threat
