New Delhi, December 16. The government on December 15 introduced a new Bill in Parliament to comprehensively overhaul India’s legal framework governing nuclear energy, signalling a renewed push to expand nuclear power as part of the country’s clean energy transition.
Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh tabled the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the six-decade-old Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, and replace them with a single, updated law aligned with India’s current and future energy needs.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the government believes that decades of sustained research and development have enabled India to achieve self-reliance across the nuclear fuel cycle and to run its nuclear power programme responsibly. Building on this experience, the Bill envisages a significant expansion of nuclear installed capacity to bolster clean energy security and provide reliable round-the-clock power for emerging requirements such as data centres and other future-facing applications.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Atomic Energy, the proposed legislation is closely tied to India’s long-term climate and energy goals. It outlines a pathway towards decarbonisation by 2070 and sets an ambitious target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047. To achieve these goals, the Bill underlines the need to more fully harness indigenous nuclear resources and enable greater participation by both the public and private sectors, while positioning India as an active contributor to the global nuclear energy ecosystem.
At the regulatory level, the Bill provides for a streamlined licensing and safety authorisation regime for entities involved in the production and use of nuclear energy, with clearly defined grounds for suspension or cancellation. It also brings the use of nuclear and radiation technologies in sectors such as healthcare, food and agriculture, industry and research under a formal regulatory framework, while exempting research, development and innovation activities from licensing requirements.
A key feature of the proposed law is a revised civil liability framework for nuclear damage, aimed at making the regime more pragmatic. The Bill also grants statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and strengthens provisions related to safety, security, safeguards, quality assurance and emergency preparedness.
In addition, it proposes new institutional mechanisms for addressing nuclear damage claims, including the establishment of an Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council, the appointment of Claims Commissioners, and the creation of a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission for cases involving severe nuclear incidents. The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity would act as the appellate authority under the proposed framework.
By introducing the Bill, the government has indicated its intent to modernise nuclear governance in line with India’s energy transition, technological advances and international commitments, while seeking to balance the expansion of nuclear power with safety, accountability and public interest.
