The Ministry of Coal today successfully hosted the Annual Star Rating Awards Ceremony for FY 2024-25 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, recognising excellence and outstanding performance in India's coal and lignite mining sector. The ceremony was graced by the Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, in the presence of senior officials of the Ministry, representatives of Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries, NLC India Limited, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and other stakeholders from the coal industry.
A total of 50 coal mines received Five-Star Ratings for FY 2024-25. Among these, 10 mines secured the first, second and third positions in their respective categories, with scores exceeding 93 per cent. Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) and NTPC secured the First Prize in the Opencast category, while Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) secured the First Prize in the Underground category. Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) received special appreciation for achieving the highest number of Five-Star Rated mines among all Coal India subsidiaries. Northern Coalfields Limited and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) were also appreciated for consistently maintaining high performance in Star Rating evaluations as well as production.
Addressing the Star Rating Awards Ceremony for FY 2024-25, the Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines emphasized that the Star Rating Programme serves as an important instrument for promoting healthy competition among coal mines and motivating them to continually improve their performance. He encouraged coal companies to view the programme not merely as an assessment exercise but as an opportunity for self-evaluation, learning and improvement. He highlighted the importance of adopting best practices, strengthening mine operations, maintaining proper records and embracing modern and safer technologies to enhance overall mining performance.
Congratulating the award-winning mines and their teams, the Union Minister of State appreciated their dedication and commitment towards achieving higher standards. He also acknowledged the consistent performance of mines in various categories and encouraged other mining establishments to draw inspiration from their achievements. Calling for wider and more active participation in the Star Rating Programme for FY 2025-26, he stressed that healthy competition, continuous self-improvement and the exchange of good practices would help raise performance standards across the coal sector and advance the vision of safe, efficient and sustainable mining.
In his keynote, Shri Sanoj Kumar Jha, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, highlighted the evolution of the Star Rating Programme as an important platform for recognising performance and institutionalising best practices across the coal mining sector. He noted that the Ministry has consistently strengthened this platform through successive award ceremonies, providing recognition to mines demonstrating exemplary performance. He emphasised that such structured assessment and recognition play an important role in setting benchmarks, encouraging transparency and creating opportunities for mines to learn from demonstrated excellence.
Referring to the achievements for FY 2024-25, Shri Jha noted that 50 coal mines had secured five-star ratings, of which 10 mines earned first, second and third positions with scores exceeding 93 per cent. He observed that these achievements reflect the commitment, leadership and disciplined efforts of the respective mining teams and provide valuable benchmarks for the wider sector. He congratulated all the recognised mines and acknowledged their contribution towards raising performance standards in coal mining.
Highlighting the way forward, Shri Jha stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration among coal companies and mining establishments through the exchange of knowledge, successful practices and practical solutions to common challenges. He called for a more integrated approach towards sector-wide improvement, wherein the achievements of individual mines serve as learning opportunities for others. He underscored that the Star Rating Programme should continue to evolve as a platform for collective learning and sustained progress, enabling the entire coal mining sector to achieve higher levels of performance, efficiency and responsible operations.
In his welcome address, Shri Satish Kumar, CCO emphasized that the Star Rating Awards Ceremony is a significant platform to recognise the exemplary performance of mines in safety, environmental management, scientific mining practices, productivity, and community welfare. He stated that these awards reflect the dedication and collective efforts of the mining community towards responsible and sustainable development of the coal sector.
Shri Satish highlighted that the Star Rating framework serves as an important benchmark for excellence, motivating mines to continuously improve operational standards while ensuring worker safety, environmental protection, land restoration, and the welfare of project-affected communities. He congratulated all award recipients and expressed confidence that their achievements would inspire others to adopt best practices and contribute to the nation’s vision of a self-reliant and developed India. He further said that the ceremony would encourage greater transparency, innovation, and accountability across the coal industry.
During the event, the winners and runners-up of the Hackathon on R&D 2026 were for their innovative solutions under the theme “NextGen AI for Smart Mining”. The winners included CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur; Technowave Solutions Private Limited, Ranchi, in association with IIT (ISM), Dhanbad; CSIR-CLRI, Chennai, in association with Dr Kalyan Sen & Associates Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata; and a consortium of CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur, C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram, and M/s Unyrashapa Corporation Lord Tech, Ranchi, along with their respective first and second runners-up. The recognition celebrates their efforts in developing AI-driven solutions to address critical challenges in the coal sector, with a focus on enhancing operational efficiency, mine safety and environmental sustainability.
The Annual Star Rating Awards reflect the Ministry of Coal's continued commitment to promoting excellence, transparency and accountability in the coal mining sector. By recognising exemplary performance and encouraging the exchange of best practices, the programme seeks to strengthen a culture of continuous improvement and advance responsible, efficient and sustainable mining across the country.