NAAM Says: Don’t Amend India’s Nuclear Laws—Protect People and the Environment
India is facing a crucial moment in its nuclear policy. There’s a strong push to amend two foundational laws: the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) of 2010. The main reasons are to encourage foreign investment and ramp up the country’s nuclear power capacity to meet energy and climate goals. However, these proposed changes are not in the best interests of ordinary Indians.
NAAM (National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements) and other concerned citizens warn that these amendments are being driven by pressure from foreign governments and corporations who want to sell nuclear reactors and technology to India without any responsibility if something goes wrong. The most worrying part is the push to remove or water down the liability suppliers—especially foreign ones—currently have in case of a nuclear accident or failure.
If these changes go through, Indian taxpayers and ordinary people could be left to pay the price for any disaster while the responsible companies get off scot-free. Weakening supplier liability for nuclear accidents means less incentive for safety and accountability. Communities near these plants and the environment face greater danger if companies know they won’t be held responsible for accidents.
Worse, this shift could make India increasingly dependent on imported technology and foreign companies, undermining local expertise, research, and manufacturing. That’s the opposite of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” And all this is happening with barely any public discussion or input from scientists, safety experts, or the people who would be most affected should something go wrong.
NAAM strongly believes that instead of weakening our nuclear laws, we should strengthen them. Tragedies like Bhopal and Fukushima show that strong legal protections are essential for public safety and environmental security.
It is vital for India’s future that our laws defend the interests of our people and our land, not just corporate profits or international deals. Any change to such crucial legislation must involve genuine democratic debate and scientific scrutiny.
To read more and understand why these amendments are a step in the wrong direction, check the full article here:
https://countercurrents.org/2025/07/do-not-amend-the-nuclear-laws-put-indians-interests-first/
— ecopolitiks.org collective, echoing the concerns of NAAM and all those fighting for a safer, people-first energy policy.
