The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is an institution, a regulatory body constituted on November 15, 1983, by the President of India. It was established by exercising powers conferred under Section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to ensure that the use of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation in India does not pose an undue risk to public health and the environment.
The AERB's mechanism involves enforcing rules for radiological safety and acting as the Competent Authority for granting, renewing, or revoking consents for Nuclear and Radiation Facilities. Its authority is derived from the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Key provisions it enforces in the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, include safety-related Sections 16 and 17, and Section 23, which empowers it to administer the Factories Act, 1948, for industrial safety in units of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). For instance, it uses the eLORA (e-licensing of Radiation Applications) platform for the mandatory licensing of medical radiation facilities.
A significant recent change is the enactment of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act, 2025 (SHANTI Act). This new Act replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, and grants statutory backing to the AERB. This legislative mandate strengthens the AERB's regulatory independence by separating its role as a safety authority from the government's promotional role, a reform that has been discussed for some time.