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

Q1. With reference to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. It repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
2. It repeals the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
3. It grants statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
4. It repeals the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 3 only
• C. 4 only
• D. 2 and 4

Q2. With reference to the enactment history of the SHANTI Act, 2025, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The SHANTI Bill received Presidential assent in 2025.
2. It repeals the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, which was enacted in 2010.
3. The atomic energy law repealed by it was originally enacted in 1948.
4. It was passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha before receiving assent.

• A. 1, 2 and 4
• B. 1, 3 and 4
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Under the graded operator-liability framework introduced by the SHANTI Act, 2025, what is the highest liability limit that can be imposed on a nuclear operator based on plant capacity?

• A. Rs 1,500 crore
• B. Rs 2,000 crore
• C. Rs 3,000 crore
• D. Rs 5,000 crore

Q4. Regarding the operator-liability provisions of the SHANTI Act, 2025, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. The graded liability ranges from Rs 100 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.
2. It replaces the flat Rs 1,500 crore operator-liability cap of the CLND Act, 2010.
3. The tiered liability is determined by the installed power capacity of the plant.
4. Nuclear operators are exempted from maintaining any insurance or financial security.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 3 only
• C. 4 only
• D. 2 and 3

Q5. With reference to India's nuclear power capacity roadmap towards 100 GW, consider the following milestone targets. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. 22 GW by 2032
2. 47 GW by 2037
3. 80 GW by 2042
4. 100 GW by 2047

• A. 1, 2 and 4
• B. 1, 3 and 4
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. Comparing India's current nuclear position with its 2047 target, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. India's present installed nuclear capacity of about 9 GW is targeted to reach 100 GW by 2047.
2. The 100 GW-by-2047 target is aligned with India's goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.
3. The nuclear capacity roadmap was formulated exclusively by the Central Electricity Authority, independent of the Department of Atomic Energy.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 targets at least how many indigenously designed operational Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033?

• A. Three
• B. Five
• C. Ten
• D. Twenty

Q8. With reference to the institutional architecture of India's nuclear power sector, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. NPCIL is currently the sole agency producing electricity from nuclear power in India.
2. ASHVINI is a joint venture between NPCIL and NTPC for nuclear power plants.
3. The workshop to operationalise the SHANTI Act was organised by the CEA with the Ministry of Power, DAE and NTPC.
4. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is a constitutional body established under Article 371.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 3 only
• C. 4 only
• D. 2 and 3

Q9. In the reform of India's nuclear legal framework, which one of the following provisions of the earlier regime is most often cited as the primary deterrent to foreign nuclear suppliers, now removed by the SHANTI Act, 2025?

• A. The operator's right of recourse against suppliers for defective equipment (Section 17(b) of the CLND Act, 2010)
• B. The flat Rs 1,500 crore cap on operator liability
• C. The reservation of uranium enrichment to the Central Government
• D. The mandatory maintenance of operator insurance

Q10. With reference to the Nuclear Energy Mission as announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The Nuclear Energy Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
2. An outlay of Rs 20,000 crore was earmarked for R&D of Small Modular Reactors.
3. The Budget announced intent to amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the CLND Act, 2010 to enable private participation.
4. The Rs 20,000 crore outlay was earmarked specifically for setting up uranium enrichment plants.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1, 3 and 4
• C. 2 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2 and 4

Q11. Comparing India's civil nuclear liability regime with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. India ratified the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) in 2016.
2. The SHANTI Act aligns India's regime with the CSC by removing the supplier's right of recourse.
3. Under the CSC, the installation state must ensure compensation of at least 300 million SDR.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. With reference to private-sector participation permitted under the SHANTI Act, 2025, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. Private companies other than foreign-incorporated ones may be licensed to build, own and operate nuclear reactors.
2. Uranium enrichment and isotopic separation are reserved for the Central Government or its wholly owned entities.
3. Management of spent fuel, including reprocessing, is reserved for the Central Government.
4. Foreign-incorporated companies may be licensed as operators of nuclear plants in India.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1, 3 and 4
• C. 2 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2 and 4