{"id":78949,"date":"2025-12-21T10:32:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T05:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=78949"},"modified":"2025-12-22T15:28:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T09:58:00","slug":"nuclear-shanti-act-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/nuclear-shanti-act-features\/","title":{"rendered":"SHANTI Act and India\u2019s Nuclear Energy Roadmap"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>SHANTI Act Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parliament has enacted the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, replacing older nuclear laws to accelerate nuclear power expansion and attract private participation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>India\u2019s Nuclear Energy Programme: Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuclear energy has been a strategic component of India\u2019s long-term energy planning since independence.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guided by <\/span><b>Homi Bhabha\u2019s <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/3-stage-nuclear-program\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>three-stage nuclear programme<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India sought energy security while overcoming its limited uranium reserves by eventually using thorium, which is abundantly available domestically.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, nuclear power contributes about <\/span><b>3% of India\u2019s electricity generation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with an installed capacity of <\/span><b>8.8 GW<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making it a relatively small but stable and low-carbon energy source.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, meeting India\u2019s growing electricity demand while transitioning to clean energy has renewed focus on expanding nuclear power alongside renewables.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Existing Legal Framework Before SHANTI<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the new Act, India\u2019s nuclear sector was governed by two major laws:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Atomic Energy Act, 1962<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which restricted nuclear power generation to public sector entities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which imposed liability not only on operators but also allowed recourse against equipment suppliers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the CLND Act aimed to protect citizens in case of nuclear accidents, its supplier liability clause discouraged foreign and private companies from investing in India\u2019s nuclear sector.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This became a major bottleneck after the 2008 Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, as international reactor manufacturers remained wary of legal exposure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Key Features of the Act<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SHANTI Act repeals both earlier laws and introduces a consolidated legal framework for nuclear energy development.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its core objective is to <\/span><b>scale up nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, increasing nuclear power\u2019s share in India\u2019s energy mix.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major shift under SHANTI is opening the sector to private companies and facilitating foreign investment, while maintaining state oversight on safety and regulation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State-owned utilities are expected to add around <\/span><b>54 GW<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with the remaining capacity likely coming from private players.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Changes in Nuclear Liability Provisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safety and liability lie at the heart of nuclear regulation. Under international norms, nuclear plant operators are strictly liable for damages, with immediate compensation to victims, irrespective of fault.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier CLND Act allowed operators to seek compensation from suppliers if equipment defects caused an accident.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SHANTI removes this supplier liability clause and even eliminates the explicit reference to \u201csuppliers,\u201d thereby addressing long-standing concerns of foreign reactor manufacturers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Act introduces a graded liability system based on plant capacity:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rs. 3,000 crore for plants above 3,600 MW<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rs. 1,500 crore for 1,500-3,600 MW<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rs. 750 crore for 750-1,500 MW<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rs. 300 crore for 150-750 MW<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rs. 100 crore for plants below 150 MW<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This graded approach aims to reduce risk perception and encourage private investment, though concerns remain about the adequacy of compensation in severe accidents.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Regulatory Structure and Safety Oversight<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SHANTI Act gives statutory backing to the <\/span><b>Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, strengthening its legal status.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the Union government continues to control key aspects such as licensing and appointments, raising questions about regulatory independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given global nuclear disasters like <\/span><b>Chernobyl (1986)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Fukushima (2011)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, safety oversight remains critical, and India\u2019s cautious regulatory approach reflects these historical lessons.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Nuclear Expansion and Small Modular Reactors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To meet its ambitious targets, India plans to rely significantly on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/small-modular-reactors\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Small Modular Reactors<\/b><\/a><b> (SMRs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These reactors are smaller, factory-built units that can be assembled on-site, potentially reducing construction time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, SMRs require <\/span><b>enriched uranium-235<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which India lacks in sufficient quantities, and they do not directly support India\u2019s long-term thorium-based vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are also costlier per unit of electricity and do not fundamentally solve the problem of radioactive waste.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, India\u2019s Fast Breeder Reactor, essential for moving to the second stage of the three-stage programme, has faced repeated delays and is now expected to be commissioned only by <\/span><b>2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source :<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/will-new-act-aid-indias-nuclear-development-explained\/article70420637.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TH<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The SHANTI Act marks a major overhaul of India\u2019s nuclear laws, reshaping liability rules, and private participation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":79052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,4336,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-78949","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-shanti-act","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}