President Droupadi Murmu grants assent to SHANTI Bill passed by Parliament during Winter Session

President Droupadi Murmu has granted assent to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, passed by Parliament during the Winter Session. The Bill subsumes all laws dealing with the civil nuclear sector and also opens it up for participation by private players.

The SHANTI Bill repealed the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which had proved to be an impediment in the growth of the civil nuclear sector in India. The law enables private companies and joint ventures to build, own, operate and decommission nuclear power plants under a license from the government.

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, consolidates and modernises India’s nuclear legal framework. It enables limited private participation in the nuclear sector under regulatory oversight. It strengthens statutory regulation by granting statutory recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

It supports India’s clean-energy transition and the long-term objective of achieving 100 gigawatt nuclear energy capacity by 2047. India’s nuclear energy programme has maintained a steady role in the country’s electricity mix and is now poised for significant expansion. The present nuclear energy capacity stands at 8.78 gigawatts. With the indigenous 700 Mega Watt and 1000 Mega Watt reactors being developed through international cooperation, the capacity is projected to rise to over 22 Giga Watt by 2031-32. The SHANTI Act stands as a pivotal step in shaping the next phase of India’s nuclear journey.