Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) rules provide the detailed regulatory framework for implementing the SHANTI Act, 2025.
Key Highlights of the Draft Rules
- Licensing & Scope of Nuclear Energy:
- Single Composite Licence: Covers building, ownership, operation and decommissioning of nuclear plants/reactors.
- Wider Applications: Nuclear energy can support electricity, captive power (e.g. cement industry, data centres), hydrogen, process heat, research and medical isotopes.
- Liability Framework:
- Strict liability of the operator for nuclear damage (including transport), no need to prove negligence.
- Mandatory insurance until spent fuel is removed from the pool.
- Operator-levy funded Nuclear Liability Fund (subject to Parliamentary approval).
- Expert group reviews liability limits every 5 years.
- Central Government assumes liability for specified government-owned installations (no separate insurance).
- Decommissioning Security: Licensees must pre-fund plant closure, dismantling and site restoration before fuel loading.
- Radiation Safety, Tracking & Compensation: Expert Committee assesses radiation damage; Government compensates for “orphan sources”.
- National Registry of Radiation Sources with local registers and annual reporting.
About SHANTI Act, 2025
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