Fundamental change in nuclear policy

If a small percentage of the money and effort spent by the great powers on building nuclear weapons had been invested in nuclear power generation, the world's energy crisis could have been solved to a large extent. However, people around the world are apprehensive of setting up nuclear reactors for power generation. India's establishment of the nuclear power plant in Kudankulam with Russian cooperation overcame years of protest. It was later revealed that the US-backed international lobby was behind the agitation of the locals by spreading safety concerns. The irony is that the same America is the leader when it comes to creating nuclear weapons.

In India, the Nuclear Power Corporation is the sole authority to build and operate nuclear power plants. All the laws passed so far have been to prevent the private sector from entering this field. In a breakthrough, the Modi government has introduced a bill in Parliament that will pave the way for private companies to set up nuclear power plants. Once this comes into force, the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Nuclear Liability Act of 2010 will become invalid. Setting up a nuclear power plant that meets international safety standards requires huge investment, scientific expertise and an experienced workforce. Therefore, the number of such plants will remain limited.

Meanwhile, if private companies enter this sector, this would offer great help in solving the country's energy crisis. Once the new bill, titled 'Shanti Bill', becomes law, domestic and foreign private companies will be able to invest in this sector. Only three per cent of India's total electricity requirement is generated from nuclear plants. The net-zero target of eliminating carbon emissions by 2070 cannot be achieved through the efforts of the public sector alone. This has prompted the government to formulate a nuclear policy that also provides participation to the private sector. The aim is to increase nuclear power generation from the current 8.8 gigawatts to 100 gigawatts by 2047. For this, Rs 20,000 crore has been allocated in the last budget.

As part of attracting foreign and domestic private companies to this sector, the new bill has removed a crucial provision in the Civil Nuclear Liability Act regarding the liability of the company supplying nuclear materials in the event of a nuclear disaster. Currently, in addition to the Nuclear Liability Act, cases can be filed against operators under other laws of the country. Foreign companies viewed this situation with concern. The removal of this provision in the new ‘Shanti Bill' will be beneficial for companies. The United States is already turning to atomic energy to power its huge data centres. A fundamental change in nuclear policy will help India to provide the nuclear energy needed to power the data centres that will emerge in the future.