NEW DELHI: The govt informed Parliament on Thursday that rules, regulations and policies are being drafted for effective implementation of the provisions of the SHANTI Act, 2025, though it declined to provide a timeline for the same.The govt also said that directorates, wings and divisions will be set up to ensure enforcement of safety, security and safeguards, and to improve inter-agency coordination to fix licensees’ accountability during a radiation emergency.“The timelines for the framing of rules, regulations, policies and implementation of provisions of the Act have not been notified by the govt so far,” minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.Passed during the Winter session, the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act paves the way for opening the otherwise highly restricted nuclear energy sector to private players to boost the country’s nuclear capacity.
The minister said that the nuclear energy programme is in a decisive expansion phase, backed by policy reforms, private sector participation and clearly defined capacity targets up to 2047. He added that the legal framework of the Act aligns civil nuclear cooperation to enhance nuclear energy’s share in meeting national goals with domestic and international commitments on safety, security, safeguards and civil liability for nuclear damage.Replying to a separate question, the minister said, “safety first, production next” remains the guiding principle of India’s atomic energy sector and allayed concerns over safety at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. He informed the Upper House that timelines and safety measures are being followed in commissioning nuclear plants, and Unit-3 of the Kudankulam plant is likely to be completed by 2026 and Unit-4 by 2027.The country’s nuclear capacity is set to nearly triple to about 22,380 MW by 2031-32 from the current 8,780 MW and further expand to 100 GW by 2047, he said.
