Supreme Court agrees to examine plea on SHANTI Act
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the decision to cap the liability of private players in the event of a nuclear tragedy is a matter of “fiscal policy” that courts cannot second-guess, even as it agreed to examine in July a challenge to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025. Supreme Court agrees to examine plea on SHANTI Act A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, “When the state, based on its own policy, decides to cap the liability of private entities under the Act, we are not here to second-guess it.” The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a group led by former bureaucrat EAS Sarma, which raised concerns over public safety due to provisions in the SHANTI Act capping the liability of private operators at as low as ₹100 crore and limiting the government’s residual liability to USD 300 million (around ₹3,000 crore). Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that such provisions could encourage private …
