New Delhi: Parliament on Thursday handed a invoice aimed toward rising the share of nuclear vitality in India’s general vitality combine, selling innovation in nuclear science and expertise, and granting statutory standing to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (SHANTI Bill) was cleared by the Rajya Sabha a day after its passage within the Lok Sabha.
Replying to the controversy, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh sought to allay opposition considerations, stating that security provisions had not been diluted. The Bill repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
The minister stated the laws aligns with India’s targets of vitality independence, decarbonisation by 2070, and reaching 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy capability by 2047. It goals to develop nuclear functions past energy era whereas honouring India’s commitments to security, safety, safeguards and nuclear legal responsibility.
Opposition members demanded that the Bill be referred to a standing or choose committee, citing its long-term implications. They alleged dilution of legal responsibility provisions and questioned whether or not the federal government confronted exterior strain. All opposition amendments have been rejected.
Jitendra Singh stated the Bill was drafted after intensive consultations over greater than a 12 months with a number of stakeholders, together with business leaders, scientific consultants and startups.
The Bill opens the atomic vitality sector to personal participation and helps newer applied sciences comparable to small modular reactors. The minister highlighted the creation of a Rs one lakh crore RDI fund to encourage private-sector analysis and improvement.
Addressing legal responsibility considerations, Singh stated compensation to victims has not been decreased. Operator legal responsibility has been rationalised by graded caps linked to reactor measurement, whereas a multi-layered compensation mechanism consists of operator legal responsibility, a proposed Nuclear Liability Fund and worldwide compensation underneath the Convention on Supplementary Compensation.
He clarified that delicate supplies, spent gas and heavy water will stay underneath authorities management, and security and safety oversight will proceed unchanged.
The minister additionally stated India’s nuclear capability has doubled since 2014 and the Department of Atomic Energy’s funds has risen by practically 170 per cent over the previous decade. Scaling up nuclear vitality, he added, is essential to meet rising demand from sectors comparable to healthcare, business and information processing.
The Bill additionally recognises non-power makes use of of nuclear vitality, together with most cancers care and agriculture, and, for the primary time, explicitly consists of environmental and financial injury throughout the definition of nuclear hurt.
During the controversy, Congress chief Jairam Ramesh acknowledged India’s progress in peaceable nuclear vitality use and stated home personal gamers ought to construct on India’s personal strengths slightly than rely closely on international corporations.