Workshop on SHANTI Act, 2025: Enabling India’s 100 GW Nuclear Power Roadmap through Public–Private Partnership

1. At a Glance

• SHANTI Act, 2025 = Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act — replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010 [S2][S3].
• Opens India's nuclear sector to private and PPP participation to scale capacity from ~9 GW today to 100 GW by 2047 in line with Net Zero-2070 [S2].
• Workshop (17 April 2026) by CEA, Ministry of Power, DAE & NTPC operationalised the Act through implementation rules and risk-sharing framework [S1].

2. Why in the News

• 17 April 2026: High-level workshop at Scope Convention Centre, New Delhi, organised by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) with Ministry of Power, DAE and NTPC Ltd to operationalise SHANTI Act, 2025 [S1].
• Addresses by Ms. Seema Jain, Member (Finance), DAE stressing financial preparedness and risk-sharing mechanisms for PPP rollout [S1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1962: Atomic Energy Act — kept nuclear power a state monopoly under DAE/NPCIL [S2].
• 2010: CLND Act — imposed flat ₹1,500 crore operator-liability cap; supplier recourse clause deterred foreign vendors [S3].
• Union Budget 2024-25 & 2025-26: Government announced Nuclear Energy Mission and intent to amend AE Act + CLND Act to enable private/foreign capital [S2].
• 2025: SHANTI Bill passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; received Presidential assent [S2].
• April 2026: Operationalisation workshop on PPP architecture [S1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Parent ministry: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) under PMO; co-implementing — Ministry of Power, CEA, NTPC, NPCIL [S1].
• Repeals: Atomic Energy Act, 1962 + CLND Act, 2010 [S3].
• Capacity roadmap: 9 GW (current) → 22 GW by 2032 → 47 GW by 2037 → 67 GW by 2042 → 100 GW by 2047 [S2].
• Graded operator liability: ₹100 crore to ₹3,000 crore, tiered by installed plant capacity (replaces flat ₹1,500 cr cap) [S3].
• Insurance: Mandatory only for private operators [S3].
• Supplier liability (right of recourse on defective equipment) — removed, aligning with CSC convention [S3].
• AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board): granted statutory status [S3].
• Reserved for Central Government / wholly-owned entities: uranium enrichment / isotopic separation, spent-fuel management, heavy-water production [S2].
• Permitted to private/JV: building, owning, operating reactors; fuel fabrication; transport, trade, storage of nuclear fuel (foreign-incorporated companies excluded as licensees) [S3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic - Unlocks estimated multi-billion-dollar private capex pipeline; NTPC, Tata, Reliance, Adani eyed as anchor operators [S1][S2]. - Risk-sharing & insurance pool central to bankability — DAE Finance Member flagged "financial preparedness" [S1].

Legal / Constitutional - Atomic energy is Union List Entry 6; Act validly central [S2]. - Graded liability + AERB statutory status address long-standing Parliamentary Standing Committee critiques [S3].

Strategic / Geopolitical - Removal of supplier liability revives stalled deals with US (Westinghouse), France (EDF), Russia (Rosatom) [S3]. - Supports CSC (Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage) alignment [S3].

Scientific / Technological - Statutorily enables Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors — synergy with Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) and BSMR programmes announced in Budget 2024-25 [S3].

Environmental - 100 GW nuclear = pillar of Net Zero by 2070 & non-fossil power share target [S2].

Governance - Sensitive fuel-cycle activities ring-fenced for state — preserves NPT-compliant strategic autonomy [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 2025: SHANTI Bill passed by both Houses [S2].
• Dec 2025: Official Gazette text/explanatory documents released by PIB [S2].
• 17 April 2026: CEA-DAE-NTPC workshop on operationalisation & PPP roadmap [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• SHANTI = Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act, 2025 [S2].
• Repeals Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and CLND Act, 2010 [S3].
• Nuclear capacity target: 100 GW by 2047 [S2].
• Interim milestones: 22 GW-2032 / 47 GW-2037 / 67 GW-2042 [S2].
• Operator liability range under SHANTI: ₹100 cr – ₹3,000 cr (graded) [S3].
• Replaced flat cap of ₹1,500 crore under CLND Act, 2010 [S3].
• AERB given statutory status under SHANTI Act [S3].
• Supplier liability clause removed; aligns with Convention on Supplementary Compensation [S3].
• Activities reserved for Centre: uranium enrichment, spent-fuel management, heavy-water production [S2].
• Foreign-incorporated companies cannot be primary licensees; JVs permitted [S3].
• Workshop venue: Scope Convention Centre, New Delhi (17 Apr 2026) [S1].
• Organisers: CEA + Ministry of Power + DAE + NTPC Ltd [S1].
• Atomic Energy is in Union List, Entry 6, Seventh Schedule [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Energy security; Infrastructure — Energy; Science & Technology (nuclear).
• GS-II: Government policies & interventions; Statutory bodies (AERB).
• Likely question stems: 1. "The SHANTI Act, 2025 marks a paradigm shift from state monopoly to public–private partnership in India's nuclear sector. Discuss." 2. "Examine how graded operator liability and removal of supplier recourse under the SHANTI Act, 2025 reconcile India's nuclear safety obligations with investment imperatives." 3. "Evaluate the feasibility of India's 100 GW nuclear-by-2047 roadmap in the context of Net Zero-2070 commitments."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• CLND Act, 2010 & Bhopal jurisprudence — predecessor liability regime [S3].
• Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC), 1997 — international liability alignment [S3].
• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) / Bharat Small Reactor — tech enabled by SHANTI [S3].
• AERB — now statutory regulator; cf. NRC (US), ASN (France) [S3].
• Nuclear Energy Mission (Budget 2025-26) — funding architecture [S2].
• India's Three-Stage Nuclear Programme (Bhabha plan) — strategic continuity [S2].
• Net Zero 2070 & Panchamrit pledges — climate context [S2].
• NPCIL, BHAVINI, NTPC nuclear JV — corporate vehicles [S1].

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• SHANTI Act is administered by DAE (under PMO), not by Ministry of Power or MNRE — though Ministry of Power co-organised the workshop [S1].
• 100 GW target year is 2047, not 2030 or 2070 (2070 is the Net Zero year) [S2].
• Liability is now graded ₹100–3,000 cr, not abolished and not still flat ₹1,500 cr [S3].
• Foreign companies cannot be standalone licensees — only through JVs with Indian entities [S3].
• AERB became statutory under SHANTI Act, 2025 — earlier it was only an executive body under a 1983 order [S3].

11. Sources

• [S1] Workshop on SHANTI Act, 2025: Enabling India's 100 GW Nuclear Power Roadmap through Public–Private Partnership — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2253013 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2206598 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 (Bill tracker) — https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-sustainable-harnessing-and-advancementof-nuclear-energy-for-transforming-india-bill-2025 — (tier: 1)