When did China conduct its first nuclear test?

October 1964

The correct answer is Option 2 - October 1964

On 16 October 1964, the People's Republic of China conducted its first nuclear test, making it the fifth nuclear-armed state after the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France.

During the 1970s, a significant milestone was India's inaugural nuclear explosion in May 1974. Embracing science and technology for modernization, Nehru initiated a nuclear program in the late 1940s led by Homi J. Bhabha, aiming to generate atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Despite advocating nuclear disarmament, global nuclear arsenals increased. After China's 1964 nuclear tests, the five nuclear powers attempted to impose the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) on the world, which India deemed discriminatory and rejected. India's first nuclear test was labeled a "peaceful explosion," highlighting its commitment to peaceful nuclear power use. Amid domestic challenges caused by global events like the Arab-Israel War and oil shocks, Indian politics displayed consensus on national integration and foreign policy, despite minor differences among parties.