The North News
New Delhi, December 19
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, completing its passage through parliament after approval by the Lok Sabha. Taking part in the debate, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said the legislation safeguards nuclear safety, national sovereignty and public accountability, while enabling reforms in India’s civilian nuclear energy sector.
The minister said the bill consolidates provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, and gives statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. He said this would strengthen, not dilute, regulatory oversight in line with global best practices.
Addressing concerns over safety, Dr Singh told the House that nuclear safety standards remain unchanged and are governed by the principle of “safety first, production next”. He said radiation levels at Indian nuclear plants were far below global limits and posed no cancer risk, citing data from facilities including Kudankulam and Tarapur. He rejected allegations of privatisation, saying strategic materials, spent fuel management and uranium mining beyond specified limits would remain under full government control. Liability provisions, he said, had been structured to protect victims while encouraging wider participation in nuclear projects.
Dr Singh said the bill applied strictly to civilian nuclear energy and had no link to weapons-related activity. He also highlighted the growing role of nuclear science in healthcare, agriculture and cancer treatment, and outlined plans to raise India’s nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047.
Opposition members raised concerns about safety, liability and sovereignty, but the government said it would continue consultations during the framing of rules.
