- Why in news
- On 2 April 2026, the Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh told Rajya Sabha that the SHANTI Act aligns India's nuclear civil liability rules with the international framework. He said it should remove supplier worries that stalled projects at Jaitapur and Kovvada.
- What it is
- The SHANTI Act, 2025 is India's new nuclear energy law. It opens nuclear energy activity to public and private entities and revises the civil liability regime that earlier rested on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. It sits within the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in Union Budget 2025-26 to scale up clean base-load power.
- CLND Act, 2010
- The Act provides compensation to victims of a nuclear incident or accident.
- Contested sections
- Section 17(b) gave the operator a right of recourse against the supplier. Section 46 preserved the effect of other laws. Both were out of line with the international liability framework.
- Stalled projects
- Liability issues delayed commercial agreements for Jaitapur (Maharashtra, with France) and Kovvada (Andhra Pradesh, with the USA).
- Russian cooperation
- Four 1000 MW reactors, KKNPP 3&4 and 5&6, are under construction with Russia.
- Mission target
- 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047, to support net-zero emissions by 2070.
- Reactor designs
- DAE is designing the 220 MWe BSMR-200, the 55 MWe SMR-55 and a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor of up to 5 MWth for hydrogen production.
- Current capacity
- Nuclear capacity is 8780 MW (excluding RAPS-1), expected to reach 22,380 MW by 2031-32.
- BRNS
- The Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences is an advisory body and extramural funding agency of DAE that funds academic research.
- Budget provision
- ₹20,000 crore is provided under the Nuclear Energy Mission for SMR research, design, development and deployment.
- Sites
- Tarapur (Maharashtra) is the site for lead units of BSMR-200 and SMR-55; BARC's Vizag site (Andhra Pradesh) is for the HTGCR.
- HTGCR progress
- The HTGCR has in-principle approval, a prepared DPR, siting consent and Terms of Reference for environmental clearance from MoEF&CC.
Don’t confuse with CLND Act 2010 vs SHANTI Act 2025: The CLND Act is the older liability law with supplier recourse provisions. The SHANTI Act is the newer law that aligns liability with the international framework.
Don’t confuse with NSG waiver vs Indo-US agreement: The Indo-US civil nuclear agreement is a bilateral deal. The NSG waiver is the group-level permission that let India trade nuclear items with other countries.
Don’t confuse with BRNS vs AERB: BRNS funds and advises on research under DAE; the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is the safety regulator.
Don’t confuse with MWe vs MWth: MWe is electrical output; MWth is thermal output. The HTGCR is rated in MWth, the SMRs in MWe.
Don’t confuse with BSMR-200 vs SMR-55: BSMR-200 is the 220 MWe Bharat design with BARC and NPCIL; SMR-55 is a separate 55 MWe design, planned as 2 units.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Clearer liability rules can bring in foreign reactor technology and fuel, helping scale up clean base-load power.
- Opening the sector to private entities can raise investment and speed up capacity addition.
- Nuclear power is reliable base-load clean energy that supports the net-zero 2070 goal and cuts fossil fuel dependence.
- Private and public participation can bring in capital, technology and vendors for faster capacity addition.
- SMRs can repurpose retiring coal plant sites, serve industry captive needs and remote off-grid areas.
- SMRs can supply clean base-load power and support India's net-zero goals.
- Hydrogen-producing high temperature reactors can help decarbonise industry.
Problems
- Victims' right to compensation must stay adequate while supplier fears are eased.
- Safety regulation and public trust need to keep pace with wider private participation.
- Capacity must grow from 8780 MW to 100 GWe, a very steep scale-up.
- Safety, liability, waste disposal and public acceptance of land acquisition remain contested issues with private participation.
- Dependence on imported reactor designs and fuel conflicts with the self-reliance aim.
- Approvals remain pending: BSMR-200 awaits Cabinet Committee sanction, so construction timelines of 60-72 months push results far out.
- Technology is yet to be demonstrated at scale and needs detailed engineering and supply chains.
Way forward
- Strengthen an independent nuclear regulator and transparent safety oversight.
- Conclude the pending commercial agreements for Jaitapur and Kovvada on clear liability terms.
- Build a strong, independent regulator and clear liability rules to give confidence on safety.
- Develop domestic vendors and skilled manpower through DAE training, incubation centres and BRNS funding.
- Speed up SMR and thorium-based programmes alongside renewables for a balanced clean energy mix.
- Complete approvals and clearances quickly and build the lead units as technology demonstrators.
- Involve PSUs and industry in engineering and manufacturing to build a domestic supply chain.
Put in your answer
Two-pronged strategy: Large 700 MWe PHWRs and imported advanced reactors at greenfield sites, plus SMRs at brownfield sites.
Atal Incubation Centres: DAE has set up four Atal Incubation Centres to work with start-ups and MSMEs on nuclear technology.
SMR funding: ₹20,000 crore under the Nuclear Energy Mission for SMRs, Budget 2025-26.
BSMR timeline: BSMR construction is estimated at 60 to 72 months from administrative and financial approval.
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- 2013Mains GS1 · Q24Raw material availability for atomic energy in India and world
- 2020Prelims Q55Why some Indian nuclear reactors are under IAEA safeguards and others not.
- 1998Prelims Q104Which element is essential for constructing nuclear reactors: cobalt, nickel, zirconium, tungsten.
- 2018Prelims Q33Implication of India ratifying IAEA Additional Protocol for civilian and military nuclear facilities
- 2024Prelims Q31Statements on RTGs as miniature fission reactors, spacecraft power, Plutonium-238 source.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
With reference to India's Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM) announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, consider the following statements:
Which one of the following is correct?
True or false?
1 of 14
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The Nuclear Energy Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
True. The mission was outlined in Budget 2025-26.
2.The Nuclear Energy Mission aims at 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2070.
False. The 100 GWe target is for 2047; 2070 is the net-zero year.
3.The budget provision of Rs 20,000 crore under the Mission is meant for Small Modular Reactors.
True. The Rs 20,000 crore covers SMR R&D and deployment.
4.The Mission aims to operationalise at least five indigenously designed SMRs by 2033.
True. The target is at least five indigenous SMRs by 2033.
5.The 55 MWe SMR-55 is the larger of the two SMR designs being developed by DAE, compared with the 220 MWe BSMR-200.
False. BSMR-200 (220 MWe) is larger than SMR-55 (55 MWe).
6.The High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor being developed by DAE is meant for hydrogen production.
True. The HTGCR heat can be coupled with thermo-chemical processes to generate hydrogen.
7.The Three Stage Nuclear Power Programme is designed to use India's vast thorium reserves in the long term.
True. The programme aims at long-term use of thorium.
8.The Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences is a regulatory body that licenses nuclear plants.
False. BRNS is an advisory body and extramural funding agency of DAE, not a regulator.
9.Under the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in Union Budget 2025-26, ₹20,000 crore has been provided for research, design, development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors.
True. The provision is ₹20,000 crore.
10.The Bharat Small Modular Reactor is being designed jointly by BARC and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.
True. BARC and NPCIL are joint developers of BSMR.
11.The lead units of BSMR-200 and SMR-55 are planned at Vizag in Andhra Pradesh.
False. They are planned at Tarapur, Maharashtra; Vizag is for the HTGCR.
12.The high temperature gas cooled reactor under development by BARC is meant for hydrogen generation.
True. The up to 5 MWth HTGCR is meant for hydrogen generation.
13.Small Modular Reactors are designed so that major components can be factory-fabricated and transported to the site for assembly.
True. Modular factory construction is the defining feature of SMRs.
14.The Atomic Energy Commission has already given final financial sanction to construct BSMR-200 and the project has started construction.
False. AEC gave in-principle approval and cleared the proposal for submission to the Cabinet Committee; construction awaits administrative and financial approval.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Mains practice
15 marks · 250 words
The Government has announced the Nuclear Energy Mission with a target of 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047 and Rs 20,000 crore for Small Modular Reactors, and has enacted the SHANTI Act, 2025 to open nuclear energy to private participation. Examine the provisions and significance of this approach for India's energy security and clean energy goals. What challenges does it face?
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.