BENGALURU: India on Saturday proposed to amend its nuclear liability law to boost foreign and private investments in the much-guarded sector, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit.

The announcement was part of Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sithara­man’s budget on Saturday.

Strict liabilities under India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, have hampered implementation of the India-US nuclear deal that envisaged participation of US power plant makers such as General Electric and Westinghouse.

The White House last week said that the plan for Modi’s US visit was discussed when he called President Donald Trump.

“For an active partnership with the private sector towards this goal, amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act will be taken up,” Sitharaman said in her budget speech, without giving more details.

The Atomic Energy Act of 1962 bars private investments in India’s nuclear power plants.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2025

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

OFFICIAL post-budget media briefings in Pakistan are carefully choreographed affairs, full of reassuring phrases ...
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...