India's push for nuclear energy splits opinions

India's decision to open its tightly controlled civilian nuclear power sector to private investment has drawn mixed reactions from experts and opposition leaders.

Parliament passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill on Thursday, allowing private and foreign participation to construct, own, operate or decommission nuclear power plants and reactors. The bill now awaits presidential assent, widely seen as a formality.

The government said the reform aims to accelerate sustainable energy development and boost investment to help India reach its target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2047.At present, the country's nuclear fleet has an installed capacity of about 8.8 gigawatts.

The bill will open new avenues for nuclear cooperation as India works toward its net-zero target by 2070, with nuclear capacity scale-up seen as critical, said Abhiroop Chowdhury, dean of the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability at O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana state.

The government needs to hammer out guidelines on fuel sourcing and delivery to private investors, Chowdhury said, adding that extensive checks and balances are needed.

Swaran Singh, a professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said India has taken bold measures by delinking fuel and technology suppliers from accident-related liabilities and limiting operator liability, while allowing participation of private sector to accelerate nuclear power generation.

Opponents' view

Opponents contended that the bill weakens safety and liability protections, marking a significant departure from decades of state control over nuclear energy.

During the parliamentary debate, Sagarika Ghose of the opposition party All India Trinamool Congress called the bill fundamentally dangerous. "This bill brings neither shanti nor security," she said, using the Sanskrit word for peace.

"As a country, are we now prepared to abdicate our sovereign responsibility, gamble with public safety and place one of the most sensitive sectors of the nation at the mercy of crony capitalism and government-friendly oligarchs as well as foreign pressure?" she asked.

In a Facebook post, antinuclear energy activist G. Sundarrajan called the bill a "disastrous law", saying it takes away essential safeguards needed to ensure companies invest in safety and to reduce the risk of accidents that can affect millions.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.