Page 54 - Policy Economic Report - December 2025

POLICY AND ECONOMIC REPORT
OIL & GAS MARKET

with International Atomic Energy Agency parameters. He further reassured the House that India’s nuclear
plants are geographically located far from seismic fault zones and that radiation levels at Indian reactors
are many times below prescribed global safety limits.

Dr Jitendra Singh also addressed public health apprehensions, stating that there is no scientific evidence
of carcinogenic impact from Indian nuclear reactors. He cited radiation emission data in micro-sieverts,
demonstrating that levels at facilities such as Kudankulam, Kalpakkam, Rawatbhata and Tarapur are far
below permissible limits. He added that India has significantly upgraded cyber security safeguards in the
nuclear sector, including encryption, secure coding, regular audits, malware filtering, and multi-layered
digital protection, reflecting new-age threat preparedness.

Clarifying misconceptions about privatisation, the Minister stated that while exploration activities may
involve private partners under defined conditions, uranium mining beyond specified thresholds will
remain exclusively with the government. Similarly, spent fuel management will always remain under
government custody, following a clearly defined, long-term storage and handling protocol. Strategic
materials such as source material, fissile material and heavy water will continue to be under strict
government control.

On liability and compensation, Dr Jitendra Singh explained that the Bill introduces graded liability caps to
encourage participation by smaller investors without diluting victim compensation. He assured that in the
event of damage exceeding operator liability limits, full compensation mechanisms are provided through
government-backed funds and international conventions, ensuring that affected parties are not left
unprotected. The definition of “nuclear damage” has also been expanded to explicitly include
environmental damage.

The Minister highlighted the introduction of the Atomic Energy Redressal Commission, stating that it is
meant to provide an additional, faster dispute-resolution mechanism for citizens, without restricting
access to civil courts or higher judiciary. He rejected claims that the Bill places nuclear matters outside
judicial scrutiny.

Responding to concerns on sovereignty and foreign influence, Dr Jitendra Singh asserted that India will
adopt only those international best practices that suit Indian conditions, without compromising strategic
autonomy or traditional strengths. He reiterated that the SHANTI Bill pertains strictly to civilian nuclear
energy, with uranium enrichment levels limited to reactor requirements and completely unrelated to
weapons-grade activities.

Dr Jitendra Singh also drew attention to the expanding role of nuclear science in healthcare, agriculture,
food preservation, and cancer treatment, citing advances in nuclear medicine for childhood leukaemia
and prostate cancer through institutions such as Tata Memorial Centre. He said liberalising research
participation would accelerate innovation across these sectors.

Outlining India’s long-term nuclear energy roadmap, the Minister stated that the country has already
achieved nearly 9 GW of nuclear capacity, with targets of 22 GW by 2032, 47 GW by 2037, 67 GW by 2042
and 100 GW by 2047, contributing nearly 10% of India’s total energy needs. He emphasised that nuclear

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