A special meeting of the Standing Scientific Research Committee (SSRC) was convened with exclusive focus on Research and Development (R&D) projects within the coal sector on advancing exploration techniques, enhancing coal production, improving safety measures, & safeguarding the environment.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Coal sought suggestions for shaping the future course of R&D in the coal sector.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Amrit Lal Meena, in hybrid mode.

The participants engaged in detailed discussions and made several key suggestions, including frequent reviews of high-impact R&D projects to ensure alignment with sectoral goals; provide incentives for participating mines and researchers from institutes/organisations that demonstrate impactful outcomes; organise a national seminar annually to highlight the outcomes of beneficial R&D projects.

They also suggested formation of an advisory committee comprising IITs, NITs, and other reputed government and private mining institutes to sensitise students and researchers to ongoing R&D activities and challenges in the coal and energy sector.

They said that the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) should visit mining institutes and research organisations across the country to raise awareness about R&D activities in the coal and energy sector.

The participants emphasised on research in areas related to energy transition and achieving net-zero emissions, as well as promote the success of R&D projects and activities through digital platforms and social media.

Also, establishment of a single platform for all R&D activities in the coal and lignite sector to avoid duplication of research efforts was discussed.

During the meeting, the CMPDI delivered a comprehensive presentation on various aspects of R&D in the coal sector, highlighting the challenges, actions taken, and the way forward.

It was noted that Phase-1 of the “National Centre for Coal and Energy Research (NaCCER)” is currently being established at CMPDI, Ranchi, to advance research in various domains within the coal and energy sectors.

Additionally, several high-impact projects, both completed and ongoing under the R&D/S&T scheme of CIL/MoC, were presented.

The SSRC includes representatives from multiple ministries and departments such as the Department of Science and Technology (DST), NITI Aayog, and the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), as well as industry representatives from Coal India Limited (CIL), NLC India Limited (NLCIL), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI).

Notable academic institutions such as IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, and IIT Kanpur, along with research organizations like Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) and Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), also participated.