In Focus by The Hindu India’s SHANTI Bill: Does it pass the smell test on nuclear safety?
Dec 29, 2025
Suvrat Raju, a physicist and nuclear policy commentator with the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, delves into the controversial SHANTI Bill. He discusses how it repeals key safety legislation and raises concerns over supplier liability exemptions. Raju highlights the risks of design flaws from past nuclear disasters like Fukushima and argues that new technologies do not justify reduced accountability. He also questions India's nuclear ambitions against the backdrop of increasingly affordable renewables, warning that profit-driven motives could compromise safety.
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Suppliers Are Indemnified, Operators Pay
- The SHANTI Bill removes manufacturers' legal recourse, shifting full accident liability to operators and shielding suppliers from claims.
- Suvrat Raju warns this eliminates a key accountability mechanism that previously incentivized safer design and disclosure.
Past Accidents Show Design Risks Matter
- Historic nuclear accidents (Fukushima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island) involved supplier or design defects.
- Raju argues indemnifying suppliers contradicts lessons from these accidents and undermines safety incentives.
Liability Caps Fall Far Short Of True Costs
- The statutory liability caps (up to ~INR 3,000 crore) vastly understate potential accident costs; Fukushima cleanup estimates dwarf these caps.
- Raju highlights there is no realistic funding mechanism to cover large-scale nuclear damages in the SHANTI framework.