Discuss the significance of the Nuclear Energy Mission in achieving India's 2047 energy and 2070 net-zero targets. Examine the role of indigenous SMRs in this strategy.

Q. Discuss the significance of the Nuclear Energy Mission in achieving India's 2047 energy and 2070 net-zero targets. Examine the role of indigenous SMRs in this strategy. (15 marks, 250 words)

Announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, the Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM) targets 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047, positioning firm, low-carbon nuclear power as a pillar of Viksit Bharat and India's net-zero-by-2070 commitment [1].

Significance for 2047 energy & 2070 net-zero goals - Baseload decarbonisation: nuclear supplies round-the-clock clean power, complementing variable solar/wind and reducing coal dependence [1]. - Scale of ambition: the 100 GWe goal is a near-eightfold jump, mobilising large capital via the SHANTI Act, 2025, which opens the sector to private participation [2]. - Legal modernisation: SHANTI consolidates the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 into one framework, easing investment and operations [2]. - Sectoral shift: moves from DAE-monopoly generation toward a regulated private-entry model, unlocking domestic manufacturing and jobs [2].

Role of indigenous SMRs - Deployment agility: NEM mandates ≥5 indigenous SMRs operational by 2033; compact, factory-built units suit brownfield sites and remote grids [1]. - BARC-designed diversity: BSMR-200 (220 MWe) and SMR-55 (55 MWe) for power, plus HTGCR (5 MWth) for green hydrogen — linking nuclear to industrial decarbonisation [1]. - Indigenisation: strengthens self-reliance in critical energy technology [1].

By pairing large-capacity ambition with modular, scalable SMRs and an enabling legal architecture, NEM operationalises India's twin energy-security and climate goals. Sustained safety regulation and timely private capital will determine whether the 2047–2070 vision is realised.

(~250 words)

Sources: 1. A New Chapter in India's Nuclear Journey — PIB, Dept. of Atomic Energy — NEM 100 GWe by 2047, net-zero 2070 linkage, ≥5 SMRs by 2033, BSMR-200/SMR-55/HTGCR 2. The SHANTI Bill, 2025 — PIB — consolidation of 1962/2010 Acts, private participation, unified legal framework