When father of nuclear weapons, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who developed the atom bomb at the secret Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and tested it at Alamagordo on 16th June 1945,  knew that the world would not be the same again. United States of America by dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th August 1945 and 9th August 1945 respectively showed the destructive capacity of these weapons. The destruction caused by the said bombs made the world aware of the power of this arsenal. On seeing the first test explosion, he remembered Bhagavad Gita because he compared the explosion to Verse 12 Chapter 11 which reads as follows:
divi surya-sahasrasya
bhaved yugapad utthita
yadi bhah sadrsi sa syad
bhasas tasya mahatmanah
That means if the splendour of thousand suns were in blaze
forth all at once in the sky, that would be like the splendour
of Mahatman “
He also said that he also remembered the Verse 32 in Chapter 11 which reads as follows:
alo ’smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho
lokan samahartum iha pravrttah
rte ’pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: I am, the mighty
destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all
people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the
soldiers arrayed in hostile armies shall not live”
The father of nuclear weapons must have found himself like Sri Krishna who has invented a new weapon which would annihilate all the vices and allow goodness to flourish. He must have thought of a new world order.
United States of America dropped the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th August 1945 and 9th August 1945 respectively showed the destructive capacity of these weapons. The world was flabbergasted and became aware that the destructive nature of the atom bomb. Perhaps in it’s anxiety to meet the challenge of United States of America, Russia did not want to lag behind. It collected the technology and manufactured it’s first proper atom bomb in the year 1949  That was the beginning of this mad race for establishing world hegemony with the stockpile of nuclear weapons. They were followed by United Kingdom, France and China. They are the five recognized nuclear weapon states.
There are non- recognized nuclear weapon states such as India, Pakistan and Israel. Apart from them, there are three states which are secretly developing nuclear weapons or at least pursuing uranium enrichment programme and other projects which may allow them to produce bomb grade fissile material and develop nuclear weapons. They are Iran, North Korea. and Syria. Iran is going ahead with it’s uranium enrichment programme by alleging that it was doing so for peaceful purposes. North Korea, though agreed to stop the programme later on proceeded with its programme in the face of the opposition from United States of America and The International Atomic Energy Association.. Both the states are on the scanner of the United Nations and they are refusing to  give up their uranium enrichment programmes.
There were other states like Ukraine, Kazakistan and Belarus who had nuclear weapons when they were the part of the USSR, but they returned the weapons back to Russia on the collapse of the USSR. Iraq though had a nuclear ambition during the regime of Saddam Hussain, gave up the same after his removal. South Africa  had developed nuclear warheads but it  dismantled them. So also other states a like Brazil, Argentina, and South Korea gave up their nuclear programmes.
Thus now there are five recognized nuclear states who are members of what is called as ‘ nuclear Club ‘ while three others who though are in possession of nuclear weapons and are capable of adding some more nuclear warheads, have been denied entry into this club. Except Russia and United states, others have not given inventories of their nuclear weapons. As per the estimates United States has 9400, Russia 13,000 nuclear warheads while other nuclear Club members viz. France has 300, Britain 180 and China 200 warheads. Israel which is a non nuclear Club member has about 80 war heads. India and Pakistan and India have 70 and 80 warheads.respectively ( based on various sources in the Internet).
Mere having these nuclear warheads are of no consequence unless the nuclear nations have delivery vehicles. Where does India stand in missile technology. Have we caught up with the world in this technology. A very interesting point. Do they really give security to the nations having them? What are the risks of nuclear war – intended or untended ? This is a continuous attempt on the above subject.