Pariksha SaathiMinistry of Coal's Star Rating awards for FY 2024-25 in Raipur: 50 coal mines receive Five-Star Ratings
The Ministry of Coal hosted the Annual Star Rating Awards Ceremony for FY 2024-25 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on 2 November 2026, recognising excellence in India's coal and lignite mining sector; the ceremony was graced by Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey. A total of 50 coal mines received Five-Star Ratings for FY 2024-25; of 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, and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) 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, while NCL and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) were appreciated for consistently maintaining high performance in Star Rating evaluations as well as production. The Minister of State described the programme as an important instrument for promoting healthy competition among coal mines, urged coal companies to see it as an opportunity for self-evaluation, learning and improvement, and called for wider and more active participation in the Star Rating Programme for FY 2025-26. In his welcome address, Coal Controller Satish Kumar of the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) said the ceremony is a significant platform to recognise the exemplary performance of mines in safety, environmental management, scientific mining practices, productivity and community welfare.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
Announcing the ceremony for the previous assessment year, the Ministry of Coal said on 3 September 2025 that its Star Rating system evaluates coal and lignite mines through a structured framework covering seven modules: Mining Operations, Environmental Parameters, Adoption of Technology and Best Practices, Economic Performance, Rehabilitation & Resettlement, Worker-Related Compliance, and Safety & Security. Mines are rated on a scale from Five Star to No Star under three categories: Underground, Opencast and Mixed. For the assessment year 2023-24, 383 mines were selected for the Star Rating evaluation, of which 42 secured the Five Star Rating, scoring more than 93%; the awards for that year were to be presented at a ceremony in Mumbai on 4 September 2025.
Check yourself: how many modules does the Ministry of Coal's Star Rating framework cover, and under which three categories are mines rated?
Seven modules; Underground, Opencast and Mixed.
Revision task: from this release, note the venue and the financial year of the awards, the number of five-star mines and of top-three finishers with their score threshold, the first-prize winners in the Opencast and Underground categories, the company given special appreciation and the companies also appreciated, with the reasons, and the Minister of State's message; from the note, the seven modules, the rating scale and categories, and the FY 2023-24 participation and five-star figures.
Test yourself
At the Ministry of Coal's Star Rating Awards for FY 2024-25, which company received special appreciation for achieving the highest number of Five-Star Rated mines among all Coal India subsidiaries?
Show the answer
Answer: Western Coalfields Limited
Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) received special appreciation for the highest number of Five-Star Rated mines among all Coal India subsidiaries. Northern Coalfields Limited and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited were appreciated for consistently high performance in Star Rating evaluations and production, and Singareni Collieries Company Limited won the First Prize in the Underground category. In all, 50 coal mines received Five-Star Ratings for FY 2024-25.
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