The Ministry of Coal on Friday (April 17, 2026) launched the 15th round of Commercial Coal Mine auctions in Mumbai. A total of eleven blocks is being offered in the latest round, of which seven are fully explored and four are partially explored mines.

More significantly, the latest round puts up one coking coal block for auction.

Seeking to improve efficiency in the approval process towards accelerating coal production, the government on Friday notified rules that does away with the Coal Controller Organisation’s (CCO) nod for opening a coal mine, individual seams or sections of a seam.

The notified amendment to the provisions entrusts the board of the concerned coal company with the authority to accord the required permissions. This would also apply to permission for re-starting mines that have not been operational for 180 days or more.

Importantly though, the notified rules mandate the board would be able to accord approvals only after it has received the requisite approvals from central or state governments and/or statutory bodies as relevant. Further, the board would have to submit information about the opening of mine to the CCO.

Essential to note, CCO approval continues being mandatory for entities other than coal companies.

The Coal Ministry states, “The overall reform strikes a balanced approach by delegating operational decisions to company Boards while retaining regulatory oversight and statutory safeguards.”.

More importantly, it expects companies to save up to 2 months in operationalisation of a mine.

Coal Ministry would be launching the fourteenth round of commercial coal mine auctions Wednesday (October 29, 2025). Other than offering a fresh set of fully and partially explored blocks for auction, the latest round would be for the first time introducing provisions for underground coal gasification (UGC) within the framework.

UGC as a method of coal mining entails converting the carbon fuel, in deep-seated reserves, into a gas mixture, that is, synthetic gas or syngas, whilst the coal or lignite remains intact underground. Referring to the latest provisions for UGC, the coal ministry held, “This innovate step is expected to reduce dependence on imported natural gas and crude oil while unlocking new avenues for investment, technological advancement and employment generation across related sectors.”

The commercial auction framework was launched in 2020 to “foster transparency, drive competition, and increase coal availability for domestic industries, thereby reducing dependence on imports.” Since the inauguration of the auction framework, a total of 130 blocks have been accorded allocation orders for the mines secured at the auction. The blocks account for a cumulative peak rated capacity of about 267.24 million tonnes per annum.

Other than the launch of the latest round of auction, the coal ministry would also launch the Coal Land Acquisition, Management, and Payment (CLAMP) portal alongside the Koyla Shakti Dashboard. The former would be a central repository of land records meant to facilitate real-time data integration and monitoring across all coal PSUs. Whilst the dashboard would serve as a unified interface integrating the coal value chain from mine to markets to enhance efficiency and real-time coordination.

Seeking to advance social security laws and adjusting them to “current scenario and circumstances”, the Ministry of Coal Tuesday floated a draft consultation to repeal the Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948. The proposed legislation, standing as a bill at present, intends to obviate the “present difficulties” of the coal sector and align it with developments with respect to industrial dispute resolution, working conditions, social security, wage regulation and digitalisation, according to the ministry. “This will ensure its effectiveness in meeting the present and future needs of the coal sector,” reads the draft legislation.

The 1948 legislation provides for framing a provident fund scheme, a deposit linked insurance scheme and a bonus scheme for coal mine workers. Though the act has been amended seven times since its inception, the latest was approximately three decades back in 1996. The ministry is soliciting comments until November 7.

Legalising fund administrator, reconstitution of board

The bill seeks to legalise the Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation (CMPFO) and inducing parity with the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952, and other relevant social security laws. In other words, imbibing an official recognition as the chief administrator of the fund, as existing at present, meant for welfare of coal mine workers.

However, in a major alteration, it seeks to replace the Board of Trustees, which is the administrative body of the CMPFO, with a more representative Coal Mines Employees’ Provident Fund Board. The ministry underlined the constitution of the board would be altered to ensure “efficient governance, adequate representation and effective oversight” of the provident fund. Additionally, it would mandate that of the six people representing employees (in the board), at least one member must be a woman.

At present, the board of trustees consistsof the Secretary, the Commissioner — as an ex-officio member — who is the overall in-charge alongside Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Coal and eleven other members representing employees.

De-criminalises provisions

The bill seeks to partially decriminalise penal provisions of the act substituting them with monetary penalties and additional penalties. This is towards ensuring [a] more “pragmatic and reformative approach”. Additionally, it proposes the appointment of adjudicating officers to determine violations and impose penalties. This is to facilitate a “fair and expeditious informal adjudication process”, the explanatory note states. However, the exact contours of the penal provisions were not enumerated in the explanatory note. Presently, any contravention of the act calls for an imprisonment term of up to six months and fines up to ₹1,000, and one year for a repeat offence.