The Union government has put in motion a process to draft a customised corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework for the coal mining sector. While companies have had their own CSR policies for many years, this is the first time the government is attempting to create a customised framework for the overall coal sector, which includes diverse private and public sector mining companies. When ready, the framework will seek to address the unique social and environmental challenges linked with the coal mining industry by aligning its CSR practices with national regulations and global sustainability standards. To prepare a draft framework, the Union coal ministry has roped in Coal India Limited (CIL), which, in turn, hired the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, a government think tank under the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The coal ministry will then finalise the framework.
Official documents accessed by Down To Earth (DTE) show that the coal ministry had been internally discussing various versions of the same idea since 2024. But it was only after August 2025 that the move received support from top policymakers. In an internal note for senior policymakers, Kunal Prasad, a coal ministry official, observed that public sector firms already had CSR policies in place based on the Companies Act, 2013; the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014; and guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises. But Prasad also acknowledged the growing presence of private companies in coal mining, which is a relatively recent phenomenon, and the absence of a customised CSR framework for the overall sector that included them.
All companies with a net worth of at least Rs 500 crore or turnover of at least Rs 1,000 crore, or a net profit of at least Rs 5 crore during the preceding financial year, are legally obligated to follow the CSR regulations under the companies Act, which are not sector or industry specific. They do not exclude private coal mining companies. And yet, being applicable across sectors, they do not specify any measures…
This article was originally published in the July 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth