The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is observed on September 26. The resolution was First proposed in October 2013. The objective of this day is eliminating the nuclear weapons completely from the world and also enhancing public awareness and education about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons.

Facts You Should Know

• The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the first and last use of a nuclear weapon in war.
• Yet today, some 17,000 nuclear weapons remain.
•  More than half of the world’s population still lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances.
• As of 2015, not one nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty, bilateral or multilateral, and no nuclear disarmament negotiations are underway.
• The goal of nuclear disarmament has been one of oldest goals of the UN and was the subject of the General Assembly since 1946.
• There are eight sovereign states that have successfully detonated nuclear weapons. The United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
• Israel is also widely believed to have nuclear weapons.
• South Africa has the unique status of a nation that developed nuclear weapons but then disassembled its arsenal before joining the NPT.

What is Smiling Buddha?

Smiling Buddha was the assigned code name of India’s first successful nuclear bomb test on 18 May 1974. The bomb was detonated on the army base, Pokhran Test Range (PTR), in Rajasthan by the Indian Army.

Additional Fact : India started its own nuclear program in 1944 when Homi J. Bhabha founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He is the father of Indian Nuclear Programme.