Coal mine star rating awards for financial year 2024-25 recognised 50 mines with five stars. The Ministry of Coal announced the results at a ceremony in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. For related context, explore CBL’s economy current affairs.
Quick answer: Under the coal mine star rating programme, the Ministry of Coal recognised 50 five-star mines for 2024-25 at Raipur. Of these, 10 scored above 93% and secured the first three positions in their respective categories. The programme encourages better safety, environmental management, productivity and mining practices.
What is the coal mine star rating programme?
The programme recognises mining performance and encourages mines to improve their practices. The Ministry of Coal uses the annual awards to promote benchmarking, transparency and learning across the sector.
Its areas of recognition include safety, environmental management, scientific mining, productivity and community welfare. Moreover, the ministry highlighted land reclamation and the welfare of project-affected communities.
The Raipur ceremony recognised performance in the coal and lignite mining sector. However, the announced figure of 50 five-star recipients refers specifically to coal mines.
What were the key results for 2024-25?
Fifty coal mines received five stars, including 10 that ranked first, second or third in their respective categories. Each of those 10 mines scored more than 93%; this is not stated as the threshold for every five-star mine.
| Result | Organisation or detail |
|---|---|
| Opencast first award | Northern Coalfields Limited and NTPC Limited, formerly National Thermal Power Corporation |
| Underground first award | Singareni Collieries Company Limited |
| Most five-star mines among Coal India subsidiaries | Western Coalfields Limited received special appreciation |
| Consistent rating and production performance | Northern Coalfields Limited and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited received appreciation |
Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Coal and Mines, attended the ceremony. He also called for wider participation in the programme for financial year 2025-26.
How do opencast and underground mining differ?
Opencast mining extracts minerals from an excavation open to the surface, while underground mining accesses deposits below the surface. The awards distinguish these categories; therefore, aspirants should remember both the mining method and the winning organisations.
Coal and lignite are fossil fuels used for energy. Lignite is a lower-rank coal with relatively high moisture content; nevertheless, the source’s five-star count should not be extended to lignite mines.
Why does the programme matter?
The coal mine star rating programme links recognition to mining practices beyond production alone. For example, it highlights worker safety, environmental protection and community welfare alongside productivity.
At the ceremony, the ministry also recognised solutions under the research and development 2026 hackathon theme, NextGen Artificial Intelligence for Smart Mining. These solutions targeted operational efficiency, mine safety and environmental sustainability.
Source: Press Information Bureau, 3 November 2026
State PCS General Studies may test the ministry, award categories and mining methods. In addition, revise mine safety and environmental management as resource-governance themes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many coal mines received five stars for 2024-25?
Fifty coal mines received five stars. Of these, 10 scored above 93% and secured the first three positions in their respective categories.
Which ministry runs the star rating programme?
The Ministry of Coal runs the programme. It also organised the 2024-25 awards ceremony in Raipur.
Did every five-star mine score above 93%?
The ministry did not say so. It specified that 10 top-placed mines scored above 93%, but did not give that figure as the threshold for all five-star mines.
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