Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed the passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, describing it as a landmark and transformational step for the nation. The legislation, which aims to open up India’s highly regulated civil nuclear sector to greater private participation, was cleared by Parliament, marking a major shift in the country’s approach to clean energy, advanced technology and long-term power security.
The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday through a voice vote, just a day after it had been approved by the Lok Sabha. With both Houses of Parliament clearing the legislation, the SHANTI Bill crossed a crucial legislative milestone, paving the way for reforms that the government believes will accelerate India’s clean energy transition and strengthen its technological capabilities.
Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Modi took to the social media platform X to express his appreciation. He said the passage of the Bill by both Houses represented a defining moment for India’s technology and energy landscape. Thanking Members of Parliament for supporting the legislation, he said the Bill would play a key role in safely powering emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, boosting green manufacturing and delivering a strong push towards a clean-energy future not only for India but also for the world. He added that the legislation opens up significant opportunities for private industry and young innovators, calling it an ideal time to invest, innovate and build within the country.
The government has presented the SHANTI Bill as a crucial reform designed to modernise India’s nuclear energy framework in line with international best practices, while ensuring that safety standards and regulatory oversight remain strong and uncompromised. Officials have argued that the existing legal and regulatory environment has held back growth and innovation in the sector, despite nuclear energy’s importance in meeting long-term climate and development goals.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh underlined the importance of nuclear power as a reliable, round-the-clock source of electricity, unlike many renewable energy options that depend on weather and daylight conditions. He said nuclear energy is essential to meet India’s rapidly growing energy demand and to ensure energy security as the economy expands. Singh also stressed that safety mechanisms would not be diluted under the new law, noting that there have been no reported radiation-related hazards affecting the public so far.
The minister explained that certain restrictive provisions in India’s existing nuclear liability framework had created what he described as a “silent phobia” among suppliers and investors. According to him, this fear had discouraged collaboration, technology transfer and investment in the sector for more than a decade. The SHANTI Bill, he said, seeks to address these concerns by rationalising operator liability through graded caps linked to the size and capacity of reactors, while also promoting the adoption of advanced technologies such as small modular reactors.
Singh further stated that the Bill provides a comprehensive and multi-layered compensation mechanism in the event of a nuclear incident. This framework includes clearly defined operator liability, a government-backed Nuclear Liability Fund, and additional international compensation through the Convention on Supplementary Compensation. He argued that this structure balances investor confidence with public protection and ensures that victims are adequately compensated if an accident were to occur.
Despite the government’s assurances, the Bill encountered strong opposition from several parties, particularly the Congress, which accused the Centre of weakening liability provisions and potentially compromising public safety. Opposition members contended that allowing suppliers to avoid direct liability in the event of a nuclear accident could leave citizens vulnerable and reduce accountability.
Congress MP Manish Tewari strongly objected to the proposed changes, warning that removing supplier liability could have serious consequences during a nuclear mishap. He also criticised the move to repeal or amend provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, arguing that these changes could undermine long-standing safeguards. The Opposition demanded that the Bill be referred to a parliamentary committee for detailed examination and wider consultation.
Responding to these objections, Jitendra Singh reiterated that the government’s approach is to deal directly with nuclear plant operators, while leaving contractual liability arrangements between operators and suppliers to be handled separately. He maintained that the introduction of private participation would not weaken safety standards or compensation mechanisms, insisting that the existing regulatory framework remains robust and that public safety continues to be the top priority.
