**Executive Summary**
On December 15, 2025, Dr. Jitendra Singh introduced the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, in Parliament. The Bill aims to update India's nuclear energy legal framework. Key objectives include repealing the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 and decarbonization by 2070 and a target of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Legislative Changes:**
* Repeals the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.
* Replaces these with a single, comprehensive law aligned with India's present and future energy requirements.
* **Energy Goals:**
* Aims for decarbonisation by 2070.
* Targets achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
* **Operational Provisions:**
* Establishes licensing and safety authorization provisions for personnel involved in nuclear energy production/use.
* Defines grounds for suspension or cancellation of licenses.
* Regulates the use of nuclear and radiation technologies in healthcare, food, agriculture, industry, and research.
* Exempts research, development, and innovation activities from licensing requirements.
* **Liability Framework:**
* Proposes a revised civil liability framework for nuclear damage.
* Confers statutory status on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
* Strengthens safety, security, safeguards, quality assurance, and emergency preparedness mechanisms.
* **Institutional Arrangements:**
* Establishes an Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council.
* Designates Claims Commissioners.
* Creates a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission.
* Designates the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity as the appellate authority.
* **Overarching Aim:**
* Modernizes nuclear governance to align with India's energy transition and international obligations.
* Balances nuclear energy expansion with safety, accountability, and public interest.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government**
* **Impact:** Enables the government to modernize nuclear governance, meet decarbonization targets, and enhance nuclear energy capacity.
* **Action Required:** Implement the provisions of the new legislation.
**Public and Private Sectors**
* **Impact:** Enables greater participation in the nuclear energy sector.
* **Action Required:** Adhere to licensing and safety authorization requirements.
**Atomic Energy Regulatory Board**
* **Impact:** Confers statutory status and strengthens its role.
* **Action Required:** Implement enhanced safety, security, and emergency preparedness mechanisms.
**Nuclear Energy Industry Stakeholders**
* **Impact:** Introduces revised civil liability framework and new institutional arrangements for claims related to nuclear damage.
* **Action Required:** Understand and comply with the new liability framework and engage with the newly established institutions.
Key Entities Referenced
Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025: Proposed legislation to update India's legal framework governing nuclear energy, seeking to replace existing laws.
Atomic Energy Act, 1962: Existing law that the proposed bill seeks to repeal and replace.
Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010: Existing law that the proposed bill seeks to repeal and replace.
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board: Regulatory body which is conferred statutory status by the proposed bill.
Department of Atomic Energy
Dr. Jitendra Singh Tables the Sustainable
Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy
for Transforming India Bill, 2025 in Parliament
The Bill Proposes New Legal Framework for India’s Nuclear
Energy Sector & Repeals Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the
Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010
प्रव तथ: 15 DEC 2025 6:09PM by PIB Delhi
The Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh introduced the Sustainable
Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, in Parliament today,
marking a major step towards updating India’s legal framework governing nuclear energy. The proposed
legislation seeks to repeal the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act,
2010, and replace them with a single, comprehensive law aligned with India’s present and future energy
requirements.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the Bill, sustained research and
development have enabled India to achieve self-reliance across the nuclear fuel cycle and to operate its
nuclear power programme in a responsible manner. With this experience in place, the government sees
scope to significantly enhance nuclear installed capacity to support clean energy security and provide
reliable round-the-clock power for emerging needs such as data centres and future-ready applications.
The proposed bill is closely linked to India’s long-term energy and climate goals. The Statement outlines
the country’s roadmap for decarbonisation by 2070 and a target of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear
power capacity by 2047. To meet these objectives, the Bill emphasises the need to harness indigenous
nuclear resources more fully and enable active participation of both public and private sectors, while also
positioning India as a contributor to the global nuclear energy ecosystem.
At the operational level, the Bill lays down provisions for licensing and safety authorisation for specified
persons involved in the production or use of nuclear energy, along with clear grounds for suspension or
cancellation. It seeks to bring under regulation the use of nuclear and radiation technologies in areas such
as healthcare, food and agriculture, industry and research, while exempting research, development and
innovation activities from licensing requirements.
The Bill also proposes a revised and pragmatic civil liability framework for nuclear damage, confers
statutory status on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, and strengthens mechanisms related to safety,
security, safeguards, quality assurance and emergency preparedness. It provides for the creation of new
institutional arrangements, including an Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council, designation of
Claims Commissioners, and a Nuclear Damage Claims Commission for cases involving severe nuclear
damage, with the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity acting as the appellate authority.By introducing the Bill, the government has signalled its intent to modernise nuclear governance in line
with India’s energy transition, technological progress and international obligations. The proposed
legislation seeks to balance expansion of nuclear energy with safety, accountability and public interest,
placing nuclear power within the broader national effort towards energy security and a lower-carbon
future.
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NKR/AK
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