New Delhi: The Union government on Monday introduced three key Bills in the Lok Sabha, including a landmark proposal to open India’s tightly regulated civil nuclear energy sector to private participation.
One of the legislations, the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, aims to overhaul the existing framework governing nuclear power. Introduced by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, the Bill seeks to repeal the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. The proposed law is intended to create a more practical civil liability regime for nuclear damage and grant statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
Presenting the Bill, Singh said the objective was to enable responsible private participation in nuclear energy while ensuring safety, accountability and regulatory oversight. The proposed changes are seen as a significant shift in India’s nuclear policy, which has so far remained largely under government control.
On the same day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill in the House. The Bill seeks to reform higher education by enabling universities and other higher educational institutions to function as independent, self-governing bodies. It proposes a transparent accreditation framework and greater institutional autonomy to promote academic excellence and global competitiveness.
The third legislation, the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025, was introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The Bill proposes repealing 71 laws that the government says have outlived their relevance. Of these, 65 are amendment Acts linked to principal laws, while six are standalone legislations.
The introduction of the Bills triggered objections from opposition members, including Manish Tewari, N K Premachandran, Saugata Roy and Jothimani. They argued that the draft legislations were circulated at a late stage, leaving them insufficient time to examine the proposals in detail.
Despite the opposition’s protest, the government maintained that the Bills were part of its broader reform agenda aimed at modernising governance, boosting investment and aligning key sectors with the Viksit Bharat vision.
