Nuclear Policy

Atomic Energy Bill 2025 in final stages of preparation: Jitendra Singh

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

Datanomics: India's nuclear energy ambitions need a capacity push

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

India's first private-sector nuclear tender plagued by cost, funding issues

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

'Not on the radar': Pak Defence Min Asif denies nuclear link in Saudi pact

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'

No increase in radiation after US strikes on Iran, says UN nuclear watchdog

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.

Centre set to amend the Atomic Energy and Nuclear Liability laws

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

Govt likely to ease nuclear liability laws to attract foreign firms

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

Making nukes great again: How Trump buried non-proliferation forever

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

Govt's U-turn on amending CNLD Act aimed at appeasing foreign firms: Cong

The Congress on Monday alleged that the Modi government's announcement that it will amend the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010 was a "U-turn" aimed at appeasing French and American companies since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is travelling to these two countries over the next four days. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that on February 8, 2015, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a booklet called 'Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010 and related issues'. "Q3 said the following: 'Has India agreed to amend its Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010 (CNLD Act 2010) and the CNLD Rules of 2011? If not now, would they be amended in the future?' The Answer given to this Question by the Modi Govt then was the following: 'There is no proposal to amend the Act or the Rules.'," Ramesh said on X. On February 1, 2025, the Finance Minister in her Budget speech announced that this Act

Nobel for atomic bombing survivors shows need for peace: Japan's Empress

Japanese Empress Masako said the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, an organisation of survivors of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was a key event of this year that impressed and reminded her of the importance of global peace efforts. Masako, the wife of Emperor Naruhito, said she thought of the pain and suffering of the survivors and struggles of those who have long led the nuclear disarmament effort. She felt anew the importance for the people of the world to strive for mutual understanding and work together in order to build a peaceful world, Masako said in a statement released by the Imperial Household Agency for her 61st birthday Monday. Her comment comes one day before a group of 30 atomic bombing survivors will attend Tuesday's Nobel prize award ceremony in Oslo. Hidankyo was awarded for its decadeslong activism against nuclear weapons. The 30 survivors, known as hibakusha, see the prize and the international attention as a last chance to get the

UN nuclear agency's board condemns Iran again for failing to cooperate

The UN nuclear watchdog's board on Thursday condemned Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency, the second time it has done so in just five months. The International Atomic Energy Agency also called on Tehran to provide answers in a long-running investigation into uranium particles found at two locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Nineteen members of the IAEA broad voted for the resolution, while Russia, China and Burkina Faso opposed it, and 12 abstained and one did not vote, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. The resolution was put forward by France, Germany and Britain, supported by the United States. It comes at a critical time, ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term in office was marked by a particularly tense period with Iran, when the US president pursued a policy of maximum pressure against Tehran. In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew

Russia revises nuclear policy, is it likely to use its atomic weapons now?

The 4-year-old document has a bland, bureaucratic title Basic Principles of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence but its contents are chilling, especially with its newest revisions. Better known as Russia's nuclear doctrine, the revamped version that was signed Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin spells out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscow's atomic arsenal, the world's largest. This new version lowers the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power. That possibly could include the use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles by Ukraine to hit Russian territory which Moscow says happened Tuesday when six missiles hit the Bryansk region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that such strikes could potentially be a trigger for a nuclear response under the revised document. What is Russia's nuclear doctrine? Its first iteration was signed by Putin in 2020, and he approved latest version Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.

Safe-haven currencies strengthen after Russia updates nuclear doctrine

Putin approved the change days after two US officials said that US President Joe Biden's administration would allow Ukraine to use US-made weapons

Putin signs new doctrine that lowers threshold for using nuclear weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. Putin's endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the 1,000th day after he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022. It follows US President Joe Biden's decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles. The signing of the doctrine, which says that any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response, reflects Putin's readiness to threaten use of the country's nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine.

Enabling conditions for nuclear energy: Five key tasks for policymakers

Indian energy policy should create conditions where private firms may consider whether it is optimal for them to buy such equipment

Joe Biden juggles nuclear talks as Iran escalates repression of protestors

President Joe Biden has hit back at Iran over the government's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. He's praised the brave women of Iran for demanding basic rights and signalled that he'll announce more sanctions against those responsible for violence against protesters in the coming days. The outpouring of anger largely led by young women and directed at the government's male leadership has created a seminal moment for the country, spurring some of the largest and boldest protests against the country's Islamic leadership seen in years. And while the Biden administration says it is dedicated to standing by the women of Iran, the president faces a tough question: Can he credibly side with the protest movement while also trying to salvage the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal that would pump billions into Tehran's treasury? The risk of a nuclear Iran is terrifying on all levels, Marjan Keypour Greenblatt, director of a network of activists that promotes human rights in Ir

Iran removing 27 surveillance cameras from sites, says UN nuclear watchdog

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday that Iran is removing 27 surveillance cameras from nuclear sites in the country. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the comments at a suddenly called news conference in Vienna. Grossi said the move poses a serious challenge to its efforts. Iran did not immediately acknowledge it. Grossi said that would leave 40-something cameras still in Iran. The sites that would see cameras removed include its underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, as well as its facility in Isfahan, Grossi said. On Wednesday, Iran said it shut off two devices the IAEA uses to monitor enrichment at Natanz. Iranian officials also threatened to take more steps amid a yearslong crisis that threatens to widen into further attacks. That came ahead of a vote before the IAEA's board censuring Iran over what the agency calls Iran's failure to provide credible information over man-made nuclear mate

TN flags concern over spent nuclear fuel storage at Kudankulam site

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday opposed the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's proposal to store spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) site and suggested it be sent back to Russia, according to an earlier agreement or store it in an uninhabited area. Chief Minister M K Stalin flagged the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter about the issue pertaining to the power plant located in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district. Six nuclear power reactors of 1000 MW each are envisaged in this project. Out of the six, units 1 & 2 have already been commissioned, while 3 & 4 are under construction and units 5 & 6 are yet to be established, Stalin said. "The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. proposes to construct Away from Reactor (AFR) facilities in the nuclear power plant site itself for the storage of the SNF generated from all six reactors," the Chief Minister said. "In this regard, I wish to inform that when the Ministry

Germany's power supply secure despite nuclear phase-out: Minister

The power supply in Germany is secure despite the country pushing ahead with its nuclear phase-out, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said.

India's nuclear power capacity to be hiked to 22,480 MW by 2031: Govt

Minister of State in the Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said the present installed nuclear power capacity in the country is 6,780 MW