The Rajya Sabha took up a discussion on the comprehensive new nuclear bill, the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill 2025, on Thursday. During the debate, Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh asserted that no compromise will be made with the safeguard mechanism in place.
Moving the Bill in the Upper House, Dr Singh underlined that the proposed legislation is designed to modernise India’s nuclear energy framework while preserving stringent safety, security and regulatory controls. During his address in Rajya Sabha, he emphasised that no compromise will be made on the safeguard aspects.
Clarifying concerns over private sector involvement, the Minister said safety norms and security controls over fissile material, spent fuel, and heavy water would remain firmly under government oversight. “Private entities will not have control over sensitive nuclear materials,” he said, adding that spent fuel management would continue to be handled by the government, as has been the established practice for decades. He said that the Bill enables responsible private and joint venture participation to bridge resource constraints, shorten gestation periods and support the national goal of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047, without compromising national security or public interest.’
He highlighted that in the last ten years, the Modi government has taken several steps to upscale the energy sector. He said the budget for the Department of Atomic Energy was only 13,879 crore rupees during 2013 -14, which has now been increased to 37,483 crore rupees, registering a growth of around 107 per cent. He said the government also decided to open the nuclear sector to joint ventures.
If passed, the Bill will replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
SHANTI Bill passed in Lok Sabha
The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 15 and passed on December 17, following an extensive debate. During the discussion, Singh had outlined the government’s rationale for introducing the new Bill.
While responding to queries in the Lok Sabha, Jitendra Singh had said that the Bill seeks to modernise India’s nuclear framework in line with contemporary technological, economic and energy realities, while retaining and strengthening core safety, security and regulatory safeguards that have been in place since the Atomic Energy Act of 1962.
Singh underlined that the proposed legislation consolidates existing laws and upgrades the regulatory architecture by giving statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which until now functioned through an executive order.
Placing the legislation in a broader context, the Minister said nuclear energy has applications beyond power generation, including cancer care, agriculture and industry, and the Bill for the first time explicitly recognises environmental and economic damage within the definition of nuclear harm. With dedicated investments announced for small modular reactors and research and innovation, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the proposed law aims to create an enabling ecosystem for clean, reliable energy as India approaches the centenary of Independence, while upholding the long-standing commitment to peaceful use of atomic energy.
Key Provisions of the SHANTI Bill
The legislation aims at the development of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for nuclear power generation for the welfare of the country. It also seeks to provide a robust regulatory framework for its safe and secure utilisation.
The Bill seeks to constitute the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and establish the Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council. The Bill also provides for the liability of the Central Government in the event of a nuclear incident. The Central Government has established a Nuclear Liability Fund for the purpose of meeting its liability under the Bill.
Under the legislation, the regulatory board will have powers to oversee the manufacture, use, export, import, transport and transfer of radioactive substances and radiation-generating equipment. The Central Government will also be empowered to specify security measures for radioactive materials.