THE Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has, in her budget speech, announced the government’s intention to amend the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 (CLNDA). The amendment to the Atomic Energy Act is meant to facilitate the entry of the private sector in nuclear energy production, which, in itself, is a bad idea. However, the amendment to the CLNDA is more dangerous as it dilutes the compensation to be given to people affected by a nuclear accident, whether it be in the public sector or private sector.The CLNDA was adopted by Parliament in 2010. A
Introduction0.1 The period since the 23rd Congress was marked by a growing conflict between the forces of the Hindutva-corporate regime, represented by the Modi government and the secular-democratic forces who were opposed to it. The push to impose a reactionary Hindutva agenda and the authoritarian drive to suppress the opposition and democracy displays neo-fascist characteristics. The CPI(M) and the Left parties consistently opposed the communal-corporate policies of the central government.
