NEW DELHI — India's parliament on Thursday approved a new law that would allow the opening of a tightly controlled civil nuclear power sector to private companies.
The government called it a major policy change aimed at accelerating the spread of clean energy, while opposition political parties argued it weakened guarantees of safety and accountability.
The lower house of parliament adopted the law on Wednesday, and the upper house on Thursday. Now, for the law to come into force, the approval of the President of India is required, which is a formality.
The move has global significance as India seeks to position itself as a major player in the next wave of nuclear power, including through small modular reactors, at a time when many countries are re-evaluating nuclear power to meet climate goals and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Supporters say the law marks a decisive break with decades of government dominance in nuclear power, while critics say it opens the door to risks, mostly health hazards, that could have long-term consequences.
“This marks an important milestone for India and signals to capable private sector players that the country is open for business in nuclear energy,” said Karthik Ganesan, director of strategic partnerships at the Energy, Environment and Water Council, a think tank.
Junior Minister Jitendra Singh, who oversees the Atomic Energy Ministry, told lawmakers that the bill, called the “Sustainable Use and Development of Nuclear Energy for India's Transformation”, aims to modernize India's nuclear base in line with technological, economic and energy realities. It also maintains and enhances essential safety, security and regulatory safeguards.
“India's role in geopolitics is increasing. And if we want to be a global player effectively, we have to meet global criteria, follow global parameters and adopt global strategies,” Singh told the Lower House, adding that legislation was necessary to meet the country's growing energy needs.
India wants more nuclear power and has pledged more than $2 billion in research and related activities in recent months. Nuclear power is a way of producing electricity that does not produce planet-heating gases, although it does produce radioactive waste.
India is one of the world's largest emitters gases that warm the planet, and more than 75% of its energy still comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal. India wants to install 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047—enough to power nearly 60 million Indian homes a year.
Energy experts say that for the world to move away from carbon-polluting fuels such as coal, oil and gas, sources such as nuclear energy are needed that do not rely on solar and wind, which are not always available. But some are skeptical of India's ambitions because the country's nuclear sector is still very small and public perceptions of the industry persist.
Opposition parties have expressed concern about some provisions of the bill and called on the government to refer it to a parliamentary committee for consideration. The government did not comply with the request.
“The bill does not provide sufficient safeguards when it comes to mitigating the poor health conditions of those affected by living in areas closer to nuclear plants,” Ashok Mittal, a lawmaker from the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, told The Associated Press.
J. Sundarrajan, an anti-nuclear energy activist, called the bill a “catastrophic law,” saying it strips away basic safeguards needed to ensure companies invest in safety and reduce the likelihood of a major disaster that could affect millions of people.
“It also leaves little scope for any Indian citizen to seek redress from nuclear companies, even if they have been harmed by radiation leaks or suffer any other health consequences as a result of a nuclear power plant in their region,” he said.
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AP journalist Sibi Arasu contributed to this report.
