It is conventional to believe that India’s nuclear tests on May 11 and 13, 1998 were an epochal event that propelled it into the ranks of the nuclear weapon states.  But it is argued here that India entered the ranks of this hallowed group fully a quarter century earlier on May 18, 1974 with its ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’ in the deserts of the Pokharan firing range. Different facets of this episode are of interest.

How was this decision taken? What were its implications—political, economic and strategic, and were these taken into account? What are its technical parameters? What are the conclusions possible from this episode?