Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh on Saturday mounted a strong critique of the Narendra Modi-led Union government over the passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill. He alleged that the legislation was pushed through Parliament in haste and without adequate debate in order to serve American strategic interests and help the Prime Minister mend ties with a former international ally—without naming Donald Trump directly.
Ramesh’s remarks came in the wake of Trump signing the United States National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. According to the Congress leader, this development shed light on what he described as the real motivation behind the “bulldozing” of the SHANTI Bill through Parliament earlier in the week.
In a detailed statement, Ramesh pointed out that the US legislation runs to more than 3,000 pages and contains a specific section referring to joint consultations and assessments between India and the United States on nuclear liability norms. Highlighting this reference, he argued that it established a clear link between the US law and the Indian government’s urgency in pushing through changes to India’s nuclear liability framework.
Sharing screenshots of the relevant section on social media platform X, Ramesh noted that the NDAA explicitly mentions a joint assessment between India and the US on nuclear liability rules. He said this clause made it evident why the Modi government chose to move swiftly on the SHANTI Bill, bypassing detailed parliamentary scrutiny and ignoring opposition objections.
According to Ramesh, the SHANTI Bill dismantles key safeguards enshrined in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, particularly provisions related to supplier liability. He alleged that these changes were made to align India’s domestic laws with international expectations, especially those of the United States, rather than to protect Indian citizens.
“Now we know for sure why the Prime Minister rushed the SHANTI Bill through Parliament earlier this week,” Ramesh said, adding that the objective was to “restore SHANTI” with his “once good friend.” In a sharp and sarcastic remark, he suggested that the SHANTI Act could just as well be renamed the “TRUMP Act,” expanding the acronym to stand for “The Reactor Use and Management Promise Act.”
The Congress leader also drew attention to a specific provision in the US NDAA titled “Joint assessment between the United States and India on nuclear liability rules.” Under this provision, the US Secretary of State, in consultation with other relevant departments, is mandated to maintain a consultative mechanism with India. The purpose of this mechanism, he said, is to assess the implementation of the 2008 India–US civil nuclear agreement, explore ways for India to align its nuclear liability regime with international norms, and coordinate bilateral and multilateral diplomatic strategies.
The SHANTI Bill, which has now been passed by both Houses of Parliament, introduces far-reaching changes to India’s civil nuclear sector. Among other things, it opens the nuclear energy domain to private participation and repeals two key legislations—the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010.
Opposition parties strongly opposed the Bill, arguing that removing supplier liability provisions could expose citizens to serious risks in the event of a nuclear accident. Several members demanded that the legislation be referred to a parliamentary committee for in-depth examination, but these calls were rejected by the government.
Ultimately, the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha and later cleared by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote, without extended discussion. While Prime Minister Modi later hailed the passage of the SHANTI Bill as a “transformational moment” for India’s energy future, the Congress has maintained that the legislation undermines the parliamentary consensus achieved in 2010 and compromises national interest in an attempt to appease external powers.
