Draft SHANTI Rules 2026 mandate nuclear damage cover for plant operators

Key facts

• The draft rules under the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy (SHANTI) Act, 2025 require nuclear plant operators to maintain an insurance policy, financial security, or a combination of both to cover nuclear damage.
• The financial security must remain in place until all spent fuel is removed from the concerned storage pool.
• The Centre must constitute an expert group once every five years to review the maximum limits of an operator's civil liability for nuclear damage.
• A nuclear power plant or reactor of foreign design must have its design certified or approved by the regulatory body in the country of origin.
• The country of origin is defined as a country self-reliant in nuclear reactor design and supply-chain ecosystem with globally trusted regulatory approvals.
• The licensing authority may grant in-principle approval before site or technology is selected, allowing the applicant to negotiate with technology vendors and acquire land and infrastructure.
• A single composite licence will authorise building, owning, operating and decommissioning of a nuclear plant, with no separate licences for these activities.