THE HINDU DATED 18TH DECEMBER 2025

Summary of Important News Items and Editorials-47

THE HINDU DATED 18TH DECEMBER 2025.

1. Lok Sabha Clears SHANTI Bill: Nuclear Sector Privatisation Debate

The Lok Sabha passed the SHANTI Bill, 2025, allowing private and foreign participation in India’s nuclear power sector, triggering sharp political debate. The key controversy centres on the removal of the supplier liability clause under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which earlier enabled plant operators to seek recourse from equipment suppliers. The government argues that the clause deterred foreign investment after the India-U.S. nuclear deal and that advances such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have reduced catastrophic risks. Critics counter that capping operator liability at ₹3,000 crore ignores global disaster precedents like Fukushima and Chernobyl, where clean-up costs ran into hundreds of billions of dollars. The Opposition views the move as prioritising investment over public safety, while the Centre frames it as essential for meeting net-zero targets and scaling nuclear capacity to 100 GW by 2047. The issue reflects the classic policy tension between economic pragmatism and precautionary regulation.

2. India–Bangladesh Tensions over Mission Security in Dhaka