Syllabus: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
Background and Context
- The Union Cabinet approved the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025, branded as the SHANTI Bill.
- Represents the largest reform in India’s nuclear sector since 1962.
- Seeks to overhaul outdated, fragmented nuclear governance frameworks.
What is the SHANTI Bill?
- A comprehensive nuclear-sector reform legislation modernising governance, safety, liability and participation.
- Introduced by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) under the Prime Minister.
- Proposes creation of an independent nuclear safety authority.
Existing Legal Framework
- Governed by the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
- Supplemented by the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 (CLND Act).
- Current laws restrict private entry and create uncertain liability burdens.
Aims of the SHANTI Bill
- Enable large-scale nuclear capacity expansion across India.
- Attract private and global investment into nuclear infrastructure.
- Reform liability rules and modernise regulatory oversight.
- Accelerate India’s journey towards 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.
Key Features
- Opening nuclear value chain to private players in fuel, equipment and operations.
- Unified legal framework replacing fragmented licensing, safety and compliance laws.
- Reformed nuclear liability architecture with clear operator–supplier responsibility.
- Insurance-backed liability caps with government backstopping aligned to global norms.
- Establishment of an independent Nuclear Safety Authority.
- Creation of a dedicated nuclear tribunal for liability and contractual disputes.
- Policy support for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for decarbonisation.
Significance
- Ends six decades of state monopoly in nuclear power.
- Critical for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
- Enhances energy security by reducing coal and fuel import dependence.