GS-2PolityQuick Bite
1.India Proposes Nuclear Liability Fund (Nuclear Liability)
Business StandardNuclear Liability Fund · Atomic Energy Bill · CLNDA 2010
What & Where
Nuclear Liability Fund: proposed statutory corpus to cover post-accident compensation beyond operator cap in Indian civil reactors.
Embedded in forthcoming Atomic Energy Bill amending Atomic Energy Act 1962 & CLNDA 2010.
Applicable nationwide; designed to draw private and foreign players into India’s nuclear expansion.
Quick Facts for MCQs
Legal & Policy
- Bill revises liability architecture, inserting fund under Atomic Energy Act 1962, CLNDA 2010.
- Mirrors CSC 1997 supplementary compensation structure, enhancing treaty compliance.
- Nuclear Damage Claims Commission retains adjudicatory role for victims.
Economic Angle
- Statutory fund caps supplier exposure, encouraging foreign OEMs and domestic private equity.
- Replaces ad-hoc payouts; complements 2015 insurance pool by adding legal certainty.
- Expected to spur investments in reactors and ancillary uranium mining.
Energy Transition
- Nuclear expansion integral to baseload decarbonisation for 2070 net-zero.
- Fund removes financial bottleneck, supporting rapid scale-up from current <3 % share.
- Provides cleaner, reliable power to meet rising demand without fossil surge.
Key Data Points
| Feature | Data-Point |
|---|---|
| Present nuclear share in electricity | < 3 % |
| Planned capacity growth | 12-fold by 2047 |
| Operator liability ceiling (CLNDA) | ₹1,500 crore |
| Govt supplementary liability | 300 million SDRs (rupee equivalent) |
| Fund payout trigger | Claims exceeding ₹1,500 crore |
| CSC 1997 ratification by India | 2016 |
| Nuclear insurance pool creation | 2015 |
| Net-zero target year | 2070 |
