'Smiling Buddha' was a near failure: US cable

February 23, 2013 03:30

The first nuclear weapon test carried out by India in 1974 was a 'near failure', claimed a secret US assessment made in 1996, but it does not explain the reasons for it to arrive at such a conclusion.

The National Security Archive, which obtained these documents from the state department under the Freedom of Information Act and made it public yesterday, noted that such an assertion by the US intelligence community may be a reference to the very low explosive yield of the 1974 nuclear tests.

The nuclear tests codenamed 'Operation Smiling Buddha', tested a thermonuclear device in the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan.

Though the yield of the device is debated since then, it is believed that the actual yield was around 8-12 Kilotons of TNT.

The intelligence assessment dated January 24, 1996 also revealed that it was the Indian scientific community who was pushing the then Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao, for another nuclear test.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

GT Vs DC: Who Bowled The Best Spell? Vote!

The Delhi Capitals bowlers have come under the scanner for their poor death over bowling, but on Wednesday, they silenced critics with a sizzling display to bowl Gujarat Titans out for a paltry 89.

I wanted to come in a better way: Pant

'Lots of things to be pleased about. We spoke about champion mindset and our team spoke about it'

IPL PIX: Delhi Capitals bowlers humble GT

Images from the IPL 2024 match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Breaking the vault: Will MSCI grant HDFC Bank access?

HDFC Bank's latest shareholding data showed that the room for foreign investment has fallen just 5 basis points short of the threshold set by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) to fully include the stock in its indices....

Campaigning ends for first phase of Lok Sabha polls

Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance...