Lok Sabha passes SHANTI Bill to overhaul India’s nuclear energy framework

(Representative Image)

The Lok Sabha passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, aimed at promoting the safe and regulated use of nuclear energy.

The bill, introduced by Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday, aims to encourage participation from both Indian and foreign private sectors in nuclear power production. This initiative is seen as the most significant reform in the nuclear sector since independence. It seeks to repeal the long-standing Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act of 2010.

This Bill will give a new direction to the country’s developmental journey, says Dr Jitendra Singh in the LS, during the discussion of SHANTI Bill.

Section 9 of the Bill allows people to carry out innovation and research, he says. “Another section allows the government to restrict certain companies’ involvement for security reasons,” he said. This is not a new Bill, we have simply modified certain aspects of it, he added.