From Caution To Ambition

India's nuclear laws are at the crossroads of reform, say Satyadeep Kumar Singh and Ravi Shankar Shukla

- Satyadeep Kumar Singh and Ravi Shankar Shukla

In recent months, a crescendo of official voices and highlevel declarations have been demystifying the fact that the Government of India is preparing to recalibrate its legal framework governing the civil nuclear sector.

It has been widely reported that the government is in the process of proposing substantial amendments to the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 - laws that have long defined the contours of India's nuclear regime.

The Union Budget for 202526 first dropped a hint, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing a major policy thrust on nuclear expansion and a dedicated mission for the development of Small Modular Reactors.

This was reinforced with unusual candour by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, who, speaking at the Carnegie Global Technology Summit, acknowledged that the present liability law had failed to install confidence in the international nuclear industry and must therefore be re-examined. "What's the good of a great initiative," he asked rhetorically, "if it doesn't deliver the goods on the ground?" In keeping with this declared intent, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh confirmed in Parliament that committees have been constituted - comprising experts from the Department of Atomic Energy, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, NITI Aayog, Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Law and Justice to deliberate on these amendments. These deliberations mark a watershed moment in India's nuclear story, potentially opening the gates for private participation and international investment in a domain that has remained a sovereign monopoly since 1958.

These amendments are likely not only to attract private investment but also to revive the dormant Indo-U.S. Civil Nuclear Deal, aligning domestic law with global norms and paving the way for India's clean energy transition.