As India expands its bouquet of clean energy options, nuclear power will take on an important role. Steps that help India achieve its target of generating 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047 are, therefore, welcome. But measures taken in this direction, such as the proposed Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, must weigh the needs of a growing industry with safety, security and regulatory concerns that are critical to address the resilience and the sustainability of India's civil nuclear ambitions. The advantages of a safe and stable nuclear energy ecosystem should be abundantly clear by now. France, which gets two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear power, is much less vulnerable to volatile oil and gas prices than any other major nation. That enables it to both lead the global transition to clean fuels and stay insulated from some of the effects of global conflicts — like the Russia-Ukraine war — and instability. The French example, with its tough regulatory framework and dominance of State-owned enterprises, also offers valuable lessons on what India must do as it seeks a similar expansion of its nuclear-generation capacities.

The SHANTI Bill proposes changes that would allow private players, for the first time in India, to build and operate nuclear power plants while keeping the most sensitive parts of the nuclear fuel cycle firmly in the hands of the government. It suggests other measures meant to spur private sector investment in the industry. It sets a Rs 3,000 crore liability cap on private operators, with the government bearing responsibility for any liability from accidents beyond that limit. This gives government authorities major influence over the functioning of the regulatory body and it sets different insurance requirements for public and private sector entities. These steps might have the right intent behind them — to excite private sector players about making major investments in the sector. But they risk setting up an unbalanced structure where the government bears the bulk of the responsibility for security, safety and economic liabilities while the private sector benefits from incentives with relatively less accountability. Moreover, it also compromises the autonomy of the regulator. Ultimately, what the private sector needs is the assurance of reliable returns because of large enough consumption. That will need public trust, which, in turn, requires laws that are the same for all players: is the SHANTI bill such a neutral adjudicator? The bill must pass this crucial test to succeed.