Fifty coal mines earn Five-Star Ratings as the Coal Ministry gives out its annual mine awards

2 November 2026

The Ministry of Coal has announced the results of its Star Rating Programme for coal and lignite mines for the financial year 2024-25.
Fifty mines were given Five-Star Ratings, and ten of them scored above 93 per cent to finish first, second or third in their categories.
Northern Coalfields Limited and NTPC shared the first prize in the opencast category, while Singareni Collieries Company Limited took the first prize in the underground category.
Western Coalfields Limited was singled out for having the largest number of Five-Star mines among the subsidiaries of Coal India Limited.
The rating recognises safety, environmental management, scientific mining, productivity and community welfare at each mine.
The awards ceremony was addressed by the Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Satish Chandra Dubey, and the Additional Secretary of the ministry gave the keynote.
Winners of the ministry's Hackathon on Research and Development 2026, held on the theme NextGen AI for Smart Mining, were also honoured.