PARLIAMENT QUESTION: PROGRESS UNDER NUCLEAR ENERGY MISSION

1. At a Glance

Nuclear Energy Mission (NEM), launched via Union Budget 2025–26, targets 100 GWe nuclear capacity by 2047 to support Viksit Bharat and net-zero by 2070 [S1].
Mission also mandates ≥5 indigenous Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) operational by 2033 [S1].
Backed by a new standalone law — the SHANTI Act, 2025 — that restructures India's nuclear legal architecture and opens the door to private participation [S1][S2].
High-yield UPSC topic: bridges GS-III (energy security, S&T) with GS-II (legislation/governance).

PIB (Department of Atomic Energy) issued a Parliament Question reply dated 23 Jul 2026 detailing progress on NEM — SMR design status, BARC's reactor portfolio, and the enacted SHANTI Act [S1].

2025–26 Union Budget: NEM announced with ₹20,000 crore allocation (announcement-level, per budget speech) for SMR R&D, aiming for 100 GW by 2047 [S1].
BARC tasked with design/development of three indigenous SMR variants under the mission [S1].
15 Dec 2025: SHANTI Bill, 2025 introduced in Parliament by MoS (S&T) Dr Jitendra Singh [S2].
17 Dec 2025: Passed by Lok Sabha; 18 Dec 2025: passed by Rajya Sabha [S2].
20 Dec 2025: Presidential assent granted — SHANTI Act, 2025 enacted [S2].
Predecessor framework: Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which SHANTI Act consolidates/modernises [S2].

Item	Detail
Implementing Department	Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) [S1]
Design agency	BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) [S1]
Enacted law	SHANTI Act, 2025 (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India) [S2]
Overall target	100 GWe by 2047 [S1]
SMR target	≥5 indigenous SMRs operational by 2033 [S1]
BSMR-200	220 MWe reactor, in-principle approval obtained [S1]
SMR-55	55 MWe reactor, in-principle approval obtained [S1]
HTGCR	Up to 5 MWth, High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor for hydrogen production [S1]
Net-zero linkage	Aligned to India's net-zero by 2070 commitment [S1]
Consolidates	Atomic Energy Act, 1962 + Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 [S2]

Scientific/Technological: Three distinct BARC-designed reactor lines (BSMR-200, SMR-55, HTGCR) reflect diversification — power generation vs. process-heat/hydrogen applications [S1].
Legal/Constitutional: SHANTI Act creates a unified statutory regime replacing two separate 1962/2010 laws, altering liability and regulatory structure for nuclear operations [S2].
Economic: 100 GWe target implies massive capital mobilisation and is explicitly tied to opening the sector for private/non-DAE participation (per SHANTI Act's liberalisation intent) [S2].
Environmental: HTGCR's hydrogen-production role links nuclear energy policy to India's green hydrogen and decarbonisation goals [S1].
Governance/Administrative: Shift from DAE-monopoly public-sector nuclear generation toward a regulated private-entry model signals a structural governance change [S2].

Union Budget 2025–26: NEM formally announced.
15–20 Dec 2025: SHANTI Bill introduced, passed by both Houses, and given presidential assent as SHANTI Act, 2025 [S2].
23 Jul 2026: DAE's Parliament reply confirms in-principle design/administrative approvals for BSMR-200, SMR-55, and HTGCR [S1].

NEM was announced in the Union Budget 2025–26 [S1].
NEM's overarching target: 100 GWe nuclear capacity by 2047 [S1].
Net-zero carbon emissions target year referenced: 2070 [S1].
SMR operationalisation target: at least 5 indigenous SMRs by 2033 [S1].
Nodal design agency for SMRs: BARC, not NPCIL [S1].
BSMR-200 = Bharat Small Modular Reactor, capacity 220 MWe [S1].
SMR-55 capacity: 55 MWe [S1].
HTGCR = High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor, capacity up to 5 MWth, purpose: hydrogen production [S1].
Enabling legislation: SHANTI Act, 2025 [S1][S2].
SHANTI = Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India [S2].
SHANTI Bill introduced by Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS (Science & Technology) on 15 Dec 2025 [S2].
Passed by Lok Sabha: 17 Dec 2025; Rajya Sabha: 18 Dec 2025 [S2].
Presidential assent to SHANTI Act: 20 Dec 2025 by President Droupadi Murmu [S2].
SHANTI Act consolidates the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 [S2].
Implementing department for NEM: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) [S1].

GS-III: Science & Technology — indigenization of technology; Infrastructure — Energy.
GS-II: Government policies/interventions; statutory bodies (regulatory board under SHANTI Act).
Possible question stems: 1. "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." (GS-III) 2. "Critically evaluate the SHANTI Act, 2025 as a legal instrument for liberalising India's nuclear energy sector." (GS-II) 3. "How do Small Modular Reactors differ from conventional nuclear plants, and what advantages do they offer for India's decarbonisation goals?" (GS-III)

Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 — being subsumed/reformed by SHANTI Act.
Atomic Energy Act, 1962 — original statutory basis for nuclear sector.
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) — India's fusion energy participation.
National Green Hydrogen Mission — links to HTGCR's hydrogen-production role.
India's Panchamrit/NDC commitments (COP26) — source of the 2070 net-zero target.
NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.) — existing PSU nuclear operator, contrast with new private-entry model.
Small Modular Reactors globally (IAEA classification) — comparative technology context.

Confusing BARC (design/R&D agency) with NPCIL (operational PSU) as the nodal body for SMR design.
Mixing up the 100 GWe (2047) overall target with the 5 SMRs (2033) sub-target — these are distinct milestones.
Assuming SHANTI Act replaces the 1962/2010 Acts outright — it consolidates/modernises them into one framework, not a simple repeal.
Misremembering the enactment year — Bill introduced Dec 2025, but NEM itself was announced in the 2025–26 Budget (earlier).
Confusing HTGCR's output metric — it is measured in MWth (thermal), not MWe (electric), reflecting its non-power (hydrogen) application.

[S1] Parliament Question: Progress under Nuclear Energy Mission — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2288294 — (tier: 1)
[S2] The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill — PIB static document — https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/dec/doc20251222741701.pdf — (tier: 1)