Indian Nuclear Programme
Main article: India and weapons of mass destruction See also: Pokhran-I and Pokhran-IIRamanna was one of the secretive personalities surrounding the Indian nuclear programme, a programme started and envisioned by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947, and being directed by Homi J. Bhabha. After gaining his doctorate in physics, Ramanna returned in 1954 to India, where he joined the senior technical staff of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), where he worked under Homi J. Bhabha in classified nuclear weapons projects. In 1958, Ramanna was made its Chief Directing Officer (CDO), where he was tasked to develop the ingenious nuclear fuel cycle critical for the development of the nuclear device.
While Bhaba dedicated to develop this programme, Ramanna inducted by to choose the preferable nuclear test site to carry out the weapon-testing experiments. The exact dates are unknown, but Ramanna chose and began the underground construction of nuclear test site at an Indian Army base, the Pokhran Test Range (PTR). After the disastrous death of Homi Bhaba, Ramanna was immediately elevated to became the directing officer of this programme. Ramanna, serving as the CDO of BARC, began to take initiate to develop the first nuclear weapon. At BARC, the initial designing of nuclear weapon was completed under his guidance and the necessary nuclear weapons' explosive material for this weapon was completed under Ramanna by 1970. As the first nuclear device was completed and developed under his guidance, Ramanna went to Indian Prime Minister's Office, where he had notified Indian premier Indira Gandhi about the successful development of the nuclear device.
In 1974, Ramanna and other officials of the BARC verbally notified Indira Gandhi that India was ready to conduct the test of its small miniature nuclear device. Indira Gandhi verbally gave permission to Ramanna to carry out the test, and preparation was taken under Ramanna. Ramanna immediately traveled to Pokhran to pay a visit to the nuclear site that was constructed under his guidance. Preparations were completed under extreme secrecy and the first nuclear device was flown from Trombay to Pokhran Test Range with Ramanna. Ramanna and his team installed the nuclear device in the nuclear test site and necessary preparations were done before Indira Gandhi's visit to his site. In the morning in May 1974, Ramanna conducted the first test of a small nuclear device under codename Smiling Buddha. Pictures of Indira Gandhi inspecting the aftermath of the explosion site were flashed on front pages of newspapers in India and the world over with Ramanna and Dr. Homi Sethna, India's top nuclear scientist duo, by her side. Following this achievement, Ramanna gained international famed and was also honored with India's highest civilian awards the same year by the Indira Gandhi's administration.
Later in his career, Ramanna advocated for the strict policies to prevent nuclear proliferation. Ramanna also travelled to Pakistan, where he attended the annual International Physics Conference to deliver a lecture on nuclear physics, notably lectures on nuclear force. Ramanna began lobbying for peace process between India and Pakistan, and was a leading force to prevent nuclear escalation in the region. Later in the 1980s and 1990s, Ramanna served as Director of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and as scientific adviser to the Defence Minister of India in 2000. Ramanna also joined the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1984 where he served as the President of the 30th General Conference of the IAEA.
Read more about this topic: Raja Ramanna
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