India, Dec. 19 -- The Parliament on Thursday passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, paving the way for private companies to enter the atomic energy sector of India. The Bill also proposes to repeal the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND Act) 2010.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the passage of the Bill, calling it a "transformational moment for our technology landscape."

Till now, only the public sector companies have been allowed to operate nuclear power plants.

However, this Bill proposes to:

Private companies can now construct, own, operate or decommission a nuclear power plant or reactor in India. As per the rules, ...