A nuclear device was detonated, with a yield of 12-13 kiloton of TNT, on May 18, 1974. Pokhran, an army test range located in the desert of western Rajasthan, was chosen. Here's what happened in the quest for India's first nuclear test.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday praised the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's handling of the diplomatic situation following the nuclear tests in 1998.