Nuclear Policy

The draft rules under the SHANTI Act set out financial, licensing, security and waste-management requirements as India opens parts of its nuclear sector to private companies

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to clarify whether courts are precluded from granting fair and just compensation under the SHANTI Act in case of a nuclear accident. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it was issuing limited notice and also asking the Centre to clarify whether there was any conflict of interest in appointing members to the regulatory body under the SHANTI Act. The top court was hearing a plea filed by a group of petitioners, including professors and scientists, led by former bureaucrat EAS Sarma. It submitted that the 2025 Act violated fundamental rights under Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi, appearing for the group, said the law caps the liability in case of any accident. CJI Kant said there was too much apprehension and pointed out that even if Parliament has capped the liability of operators, it does not preclude the court from granting fair and just .

The draft rules say financial security for nuclear power plants must remain in place until all spent fuel has been removed from the concerned storage pool

Trump maintained that Iran respected the United States after recent developments and reiterated his long-standing position that Tehran must never acquire nuclear weapons

Adani Power said its plans to develop nuclear power projects depend on the government finalising rules allowing private-sector participation, with technology choices hinging on commercial viability

The project at Mahi Banswara will be the country's first nuclear generator that is not fully-owned by Nuclear Power Corp., which currently operates India's entire atomic energy capacity of 8.8 gigawat

The $12.6-billion Rooppur nuclear plant is expected to meet up to 15% of Bangladesh's electricity demand, underscoring the country's push to reduce fossil fuel imports

American companies deepen talks with India on reactors, fuel tech, logistics, and project delivery

India's push for 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 will need over $200 billion, demanding long-tenor financing, sovereign support and a dedicated nuclear finance entity

The Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman removes a key cost barrier for nuclear projects as India prepares for a major capacity expansion and opens the sector to private participation

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday described the government's nuclear energy bill as a "dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion" without adequate safeguards and asserted that the pursuit of capital cannot be allowed to override the requirements of public safety, environmental protection and victim justice. Participating in a debate on the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill in the Lok Sabha, Tharoor claimed that the proposed legislation is ridden with exceptions, heavy on discretion and largely indifferent to public welfare. "I am not sure whether it is a nuclear bill or an unclear bill," he said. The former Union minister said the SHANTI Bill represents a "dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion" with inadequate safeguards. "We cannot allow the pursuit of capital to override the non-negotiable requirements of public safety, environmental protection and victim justice," he asserted. "The name SHANTI m

The SHANTI 2025 proposes a new legal framework to govern the production, use and regulation of nuclear energy and ionising radiation in India

Policy directives of the Government with regard to specific aspects of the Bill are being suitably incorporated before being put up for approvals, according to the Union Minister

India's nuclear ambitions hinge on accelerating capacity growth to meet its 100-GW target by 2047, even as policy reforms gather pace and global peers stay far ahead

There are 687 queries bothering bidders, documents show, with financing being the thorn, followed by issues of cost over high service charges by NPCIL

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo TV that Pakistan's capabilities extend to Saudi under the pact, but later told Reuters that nuclear weapons are 'not on the radar'

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels after US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The UN nuclear watchdog sent the message via the social platform X on Sunday. The IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time, it said. The IAEA will provide further assessments on situation in Iran as more information becomes available.

On changes in the CLNDA too, many felt that the current law, which exposes suppliers to unlimited liability in case of accidents, is a deterrent for investors

India may be revisiting the law that was largely influenced by the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, to encourage US investment

Nukes are today a fairly low-tech option and inexpensive deterrent. If the Pakistanis could build them in the 1980s, anybody could do so now