New Delhi, Dec 19 : The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, approved by the Parliament earlier this week consolidates and modernises India's nuclear legal framework with the objective to support the country's clean-energy transition aimed at achieving the long-term goal of 100 GW nuclear energy capacity by 2047.

The Bill permits private companies to participate in India's nuclear sector, enabling them to undertake plant operations, power generation, equipment manufacturing, and selected activities such as the fabrication of nuclear fuel including conversion, refining and enrichment of Uranium-235 up to such threshold value, or production, use, processing or disposal of other prescribed substances.

In addition, all activities that involve radiation exposure must obtain prior safety authorisation from the regulatory authority.

At the core of the Bill lies a strong emphasis on maintaining India's strategic control over its nuclear ecosystem.

Even as the sector opens up to private participation, the Bill ensures that critical functions remain firmly under sovereign oversight.

The union government retains exclusive authority over the nuclear fuel cycle, waste management, and all security-related operations.

The reforms reinforce safety standards and enhance India's nuclear governance framework for future expansion.

Under the Bill, certain sensitive nuclear fuelâ??cycle activities are reserved exclusively for the Central government or its wholly owned institutions.

These include enrichment or isotopic separation of prescribed or radioactive substances (unless otherwise notified), management of spent fuel such as reprocessing, recycling, radionuclide separation, and high-level waste handling, production and upgradation of heavy water, and any other facilities or activities specifically notified by the Union government.

It establishes a structured system for granting, suspending, or cancelling licences and safety authorisations for nuclear energy production and use.

In contrast to existing laws that impose a single statutory cap on operator liability, the SHANTI Bill establishes a graded liability framework.

Under this framework, the limits on operator liability are detailed in the Second Schedule of the Bill and vary according to the type and characteristics of the nuclear installation.

The Bill provides a regulatory framework for the use of nuclear and radiation technologies in healthcare, agriculture, industry, research, and other peaceful applications.

It allows exemption from a license for limited activities like research, development, and innovation-related work.

The Bill also introduces a practical and balanced civil liability regime for addressing nuclear damage and provides for a dedicated Commission to handle cases involving severe nuclear damage and ensure timely adjudication.

It grants formal statutory recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to strengthen regulatory independence and authority and improves systems for security, safeguards, quality assurance, and coordinated emergency preparedness and response.

The Bill vests exclusive acquisition rights with the Central government in specific cases related to nuclear activities.

It also establishes an Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council to facilitate the redressal of disputes.

/IANS