House panel on power to discuss India's nuclear mission

The parliamentary consultative committee on power is likely to discuss crucial aspects of nuclear energy as India readies to launch a dedicated mission in the sector.

Under the chairmanship of power minister Manohar Lal, 30 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members from various political parties will be given a presentation this week on aspects of nuclear energy and its role in India's net-zero journey, people aware of the development said.

As India builds on its nuclear energy mission, public engagement becomes crucial on a source that raises concerns on safety, especially the perceptions built on high-profile accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima.

"A presentation may be made to the members. The topic of discussion this time will be nuclear power," one of the people said. "This will be for the acceptability and to discuss the plan ahead and the challenges."

The budget for FY26 stated the government will move towards 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, increasing multi-fold from the current 8 GW and encouraging greater private sector participation.

Though nuclear energy generation falls under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the power ministry too has been involved in the mission with its public sector undertaking NTPC Ltd.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), under the DAE, has also been working on public awareness.