A parliamentary committee urges reforms to accelerate and simplify uranium project approvals in India, highlighting it as crucial for the country’s growing nuclear energy sector and long-term fuel security.
A parliamentary committee has called for a faster, more predictable approval system for uranium mining in India, arguing that the country’s nuclear fuel chain cannot be left exposed to delays that slow the movement from discovery to production. The panel said the issue is especially important for the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor fleet, which depends on a steady domestic uranium supply.
In its report on regulatory enablement for strategic minerals, the committee said existing mining law does not allow uranium leases to be extended easily when ore bodies continue beyond current boundaries. That, it warned, can force companies into fresh leases and separate clearances even when the geological case for a contiguous project is clear. The report said this is particularly damaging for deeper deposits, including those at Narwapahar, where mining below 600 metres can test the economic viability of a project.
The committee also pointed to the wide set of approvals needed by Uranium Corporation of India Ltd, including clearances tied to environment, forests, radiation safety, mine safety, pollution control, land and water use. It said these overlapping processes can stretch schedules and complicate fuel planning for reactors. To reduce those bottlenecks, the panel urged changes to the Mines and Minerals Act to allow contiguous lease extensions for strategic minerals such as uranium, provided safety and environmental safeguards remain in place.
Alongside that, the panel recommended a statutory single-window clearance mechanism with fixed timelines for uranium mining and milling projects, together with a state-level framework for land acquisition, rehabilitation, water supply and emergency planning. It also wants a Department of Atomic Energy-led coordination platform to settle inter-ministerial disputes within defined deadlines. The government has already sent interim replies, but final action is still pending. In a separate finding reported by The Economic Times, the same parliamentary panel warned that underfunding exploration could create longer-term supply risks, noting that uranium projects can take 8 to 12 years from early exploration to mining. As India expands nuclear power capacity, the committee said regulatory certainty and sustained investment are both needed to protect future fuel supply.
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