निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :
- 1.भारत सरकार द्वारा कोयला क्षेत्र का राष्ट्रीयकरण इंदिरा गाँधी के कार्यकाल में किया गया था।
- 2.वर्तमान में, कोयला खंडों का आबंटन लॉटरी के आधार पर किया जाता है।
- 3.भारत हाल के समय तक घरेलू आपूर्ति की कमी को पूरा करने के लिए कोयले का आयात करता था, किन्तु अब भारत कोयला उत्पादन में आत्मनिर्भर है।
उपर्युक्त में से कौन-सा/से कथन सही है/हैं?
Read this question in English
Consider the following statements:
1. Coal sector was nationalized by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi.
2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.
3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal production.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only · (b) 2 and 3 only · (c) 3 only · (d) 1, 2 and 3
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (a) केवल 1
Only statement 1 is correct. Coking coal mines were nationalised in 1971-72 and non-coking coal mines in 1973, while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Coal blocks are given out by competitive auction, not by lottery, and India still imports coal.
- ✓ 1. The Central Government nationalised private coal mines in two phases: coking coal mines in 1971-72 and non-coking coal mines in 1973 (Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973). Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977.
- ✗ 2. Blocks are now allotted through competitive bidding, that is auctions, conducted by the Nominated Authority under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. There is no lottery.
- ✗ 3. India is not self-sufficient. It still imports coking coal and high-grade thermal coal that its domestic reserves do not supply in sufficient quantity.
Remember · Coal was nationalised in 1971-73 under Indira Gandhi; blocks are now auctioned (not lotteried), and India still imports coking coal.
Sources
- History and background, Ministry of Coal, Government of India ↗ “The nationalisation was done in two phases, the first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973.”
- Shrimati Indira Gandhi, Former Prime Ministers, Prime Minister's Office ↗ “Then she held the highest office as the Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977.”
- Auction/Allotment, Nominated Authority, Ministry of Coal ↗ “From an earlier restrictive model, we have moved on to granting coal mining blocks pursuant to a competitive bidding process, and from prescribing specific end-use to permitting commercial sale of coal.”
- About the Nominated Authority, Ministry of Coal ↗ “Nominated Authority is appointed under the section 6(1) of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and has been vested with the overall responsibility as highlighted below: to conduct the auction process and allotment”
- India's coal imports see marginal increase, Ministry of Coal (PIB, 25 Sept 2024) ↗ “the current consumption landscape reveals a critical need for imports, particularly for coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, which are not sufficiently available within domestic reserves.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·