🗞️ Why in News In his Independence Day address on August 15, 2026, PM Modi announced that five new nuclear reactors would become operational within 6-7 years, reaffirming India’s target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.
Background: The SHANTI Act
The announcement builds on the SHANTI Act (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India), passed by the Lok Sabha on December 17, 2025 and by the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2025, which repealed the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, opening private and foreign participation in nuclear plant construction while retaining state control over strategic and fissile-material activities.
The Nuclear Energy Mission
The Nuclear Energy Mission carries a Rs 20,000 crore outlay and targets deploying at least five indigenously designed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033, including the Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), rated at 220 MWe.
UPSC Relevance
The liability-law reform is a significant shift, balancing the need to attract private investment against maintaining adequate victim-compensation safeguards in the event of a nuclear incident, a genuine trade-off worth examining critically rather than treating the reform as an unambiguous improvement.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Nuclear Energy Expansion, August 2026:
- Announced: 5 new reactors, operational within 6-7 years (August 15, 2026 address)
- National target: 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047
- SHANTI Act: Lok Sabha December 17, 2025, Rajya Sabha December 18, 2025; repealed the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010
- Nuclear Energy Mission: Rs 20,000 crore outlay; at least 5 indigenous SMRs by 2033
- BSMR-200: Bharat Small Modular Reactor, rated 220 MWe
Sources: Department of Atomic Energy, PIB
Source: PM Announces Five New Nuclear Reactors, Reaffirms 100 GW Target by 2047 — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
