- Why in news
- On 5 July 2026, Home Minister Amit Shah and Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy reviewed illegal coal mining and theft in Dhanbad and nearby areas in New Delhi. They decided to adopt a "Zero Coal Leakage Plan".
- What it is
- The Zero Coal Leakage Plan is an enforcement plan to stop illegal coal mining and unauthorised coal transport. It relies on CISF deployment, legal powers under the MMDR Act, technology surveillance and GST e-way bill checks. It targets coal-bearing areas such as Dhanbad.
- Legal powers
- CISF and Coal India Limited officials are authorised under the MMDR Act, 1957 to file cases, search premises and seize illegal minerals, tools and vehicles.
- CISF priority
- The Home Ministry must put the coal sector on the priority list for CISF deployment. CISF is to form Quick Response Teams and a multi-layered security arrangement.
- Coordination body
- A Coal Sector Coordination Committee was directed in a December 2025 meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary, and has since been constituted.
- GST link
- A mechanism is to verify e-way bills for all coal transported, involving GST authorities, to ensure consumers use only legally mined coal.
- Technology
- High-resolution cameras at Integrated Command and Control Centres are to be used to identify areas and persons involved in illegal mining.
Don’t confuse with CISF vs state police: CISF is a central armed force under the Home Ministry that guards public sector undertakings. Law and order and policing remain a state subject.
Don’t confuse with MMDR Act vs Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act: The MMDR Act, 1957 regulates mining and minerals in general. The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 governs coal block allocation.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Curbs revenue loss to Coal India and the exchequer, and protects public resources.
- Cuts the link between illegal mining, organised crime and law-and-order problems.
Problems
- Policing is a state subject, so CISF and state agencies must coordinate closely.
- Local livelihood dependence on illegal mining and the spread of transport routes make enforcement hard.
Way forward
- Use the approved SOP rigorously, with regular review by the Coal Ministry.
- Combine surveillance and e-way bill checks with alternative livelihoods for affected communities.
Put in your answer
Illegal mining enforcement: CISF and Coal India officials now hold MMDR Act powers of search and seizure, an example of central agencies strengthening enforcement in mining areas.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A new plan on illegal coal mining, a lasting security topic. Few fixed facts for a statement, and no kind-specific Mains pattern, so no question.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.