Discuss the significance of the Nuclear Energy Mission in achieving India's Viksit Bharat and net-zero goals. Examine the role of Small Modular Reactors in this strategy.

Q. Discuss the significance of the Nuclear Energy Mission in achieving India's Viksit Bharat and net-zero goals. Examine the role of Small Modular Reactors in this strategy. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat targets 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047, positioning atomic power as a pillar of India's developed-nation ambition and its Net Zero by 2070 pledge [1].

Significance for Viksit Bharat - Base-load security: nuclear offers reliable round-the-clock power for the base load presently met by fossil-fuel plants, unlike intermittent solar and wind [1]. - Capital and technology push: a ₹20,000 crore outlay for SMR design, development and deployment anchors indigenous nuclear manufacturing and high-end jobs [2]. - Structural reform: the SHANTI Act, 2025, replacing the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, permits licensing of Indian companies and joint ventures, ending the state monopoly and unlocking private capital [3]. - Risk clarity for investors: a graded liability structure of ₹100–3,000 crore by capacity balances investor confidence with accountability [3].

Significance for net-zero - Nuclear generation carries least carbon emission among dispatchable sources, so scaling it directly displaces coal in the base load [1]. - Firm low-carbon capacity complements renewables, making deep decarbonisation of a growing grid feasible rather than merely aspirational [1].

Role of Small Modular Reactors - The Mission seeks at least five indigenous SMRs operational by 2033 — the pathfinder for the 2047 target [1]. - BARC's portfolio spans the BSMR-200 (220 MWe PWR, with in-principle approval and Tarapur cleared as site) and the smaller SMR-55 [1][4]. - The HTGCR, a high-temperature reactor, extends nuclear beyond electricity into hydrogen production, aiding hard-to-abate sectors [1]. - Modular, factory-built units shorten construction timelines and suit smaller sites, including retiring thermal plant locations and captive industrial demand.

The Mission thus converts nuclear power from a niche contributor into a mainstream decarbonisation instrument. Sustaining it will require timely AERB-supervised safety clearances, fuel security and public confidence-building — so that clean, firm and affordable energy underwrites both Viksit Bharat 2047 and India's climate commitments.

(~320 words)

Sources: 1. PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, PIB — 100 GWe by 2047, Net Zero 2070, base-load rationale, five SMRs by 2033, SMR-55 and HTGCR for hydrogen 2. Nuclear Power in Union Budget 2025-26, PIB — ₹20,000 crore outlay for SMR design, development and deployment 3. Summary of the SHANTI Bill, 2025, PRS Legislative Research — replacement of the 1962 and 2010 Acts, licensing of companies and joint ventures, graded liability of ₹100–3,000 crore 4. PARLIAMENT QUESTION: Progress of the Bharat Small Modular Reactor, PIB — BSMR-200 as indigenous 220 MWe PWR, in-principle approval and Tarapur site