Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 15: Minister of Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today introduced the landmark Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 , that is “SHANTI” Bill 2025, in Parliament on Monday.
The Bill aims to repeal both the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 and open India’s highly restricted nuclear power sector to private participation.
Last week, the Union Cabinet gave nod to the landmark atomic energy legislation, the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 or SHANTI, driving a significant message on India’s energy pathways.
The proposed legislation aims to encourage participation by public and private players, including through public-private partnerships and joint ventures and promote the deployment of small modular reactors at scale.
“SHANTI” Bill is also aims at the formation of a robust regulatory framework for safe and secure utilisation of nuclear energy and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
As per the text of the new Bill accessed the SHANTI legislation ushers in a ‘pragmatic civil liability regime for nuclear damage’ and does away with the contentious supplier liability clause (Section 46 CLND Act)- which was a big deterrent for the likes of US companies from building nuclear power plants in India.
It also opens the doors for private sector ‘operators’ into India’s highly restricted atomic energy sector allowing them to operate Nuclear power plants, import N fuel and process it as per Clause 3 of the Bill.
The text of the SHANTI Bill states that the Centre will issue licenses to any Government company, private company or a joint venture or any permitted entity to operate across areas – allowing them the right to build, own, operate or decommission a nuclear power plant or reactor; fabrication of nuclear fuel including conversion, refining and enrichment of uranium-235 up to a threshold value besides transportation or storage of nuclear fuel or spent fuel, the import, export, acquisition, or possession of nuclear fuel and prescribed equipment, technology/ software for development and production.
“The Bill to provide for the promotion and development of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for nuclear power generation, application in healthcare, food, water, agriculture, industry, research, environment, innovation in nuclear science and technology, for the welfare of the people of India and for robust regulatory framework for its safe and secure utilisation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto” official Parliamentary channel said in a post.
The Bill also addresses the issue of ‘rights to recourse’ for operators besides limiting jurisdiction of civilian courts on nuclear energy-related issues.
The proposed bill also seeks that the operator should bring in an insurance policy or a financial security mechanism to cover his liability and the maximum amount of liability in respect of each nuclear incident proposed is rupee equivalent to three hundred million. However, a nuclear installation owned by the Central Government is exempted from this obligation.
In a move to de-regulate India’s nuclear power sector, the Government has also proposed to bring in a specialised tribunal to address disputes outside civil courts and address the liability question.
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