SHANTI Act a historic turning point for India's energy: USISPF

The USISPF has welcomed India's SHANTI Act, 2025, calling it a historic reform. The new law repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the CLND Act, 2010, aiming to expand private and foreign participation in the country's nuclear power sector.

US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has welcomed the enactment of the SHANTI (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) Act, 2025, noting that the legislation marked a historic turning point in India's energy landscape.

Having received Presidential assent, following its passage in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha last week, the Act reflects the most comprehensive overhaul of India's civil nuclear framework since independence, the non-profit organization focused on strengthening economic and strategic ties between the United States and India said in a statement.

Key Reforms and Objectives

The SHANTI Act effectively repeals and replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. The SHANTI Act introduces critical amendments designed to expand private and foreign participation in India's nuclear power sector; clarify the liability framework for nuclear operators; operationalize the long-standing potential of the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, among others, USISPF noted.

"This reform marks a pivotal step toward modernizing India's nuclear energy infrastructure and strengthening bilateral cooperation in clean energy development," the USISPF statement read.

Legislative Journey and National Ambitions

Parliament on Thursday passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025. India aims to produce 100 gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2047, against current 8-9 GW.

Government's Rationale

Addressing concerns raised by members and outlining the government's rationale for introducing a comprehensive new nuclear law, the Union Minister of Science and Technology and Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh had said 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.

The SHANTI Bill was tabled in Parliament on December 15. (ANI)

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