“In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for development.” Discuss.
Approach · directive: “discuss”
What it asks · Weigh coal's role in energy, industry and livelihoods against its ecological and social costs, and say how far the dependence can be reduced.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Discuss why coal remains necessary for development: energy security, industrial inputs, livelihoods and revenue
- Discuss the adverse environmental and social impact of coal mining
- Reach a view: how far the dependence can be managed and reduced
Open with · Coal is India's largest source of electricity and a key input for steel and cement, yet mining scars land, forests, air and water and displaces communities.
Cover
- Energy security: domestic coal is the most abundant conventional fuel and supports base-load power, while renewables still face intermittency and storage constraints.
- Industrial inputs: steel, cement, fertilisers and other core industries need coal and coke; imports would strain the foreign exchange and supply.
- Livelihoods and revenue: mining regions such as Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh depend on jobs, royalties and district mineral funds.
- Environmental costs: forest loss, land subsidence, mine fires as in Jharia, acid mine drainage, dust, and carbon emissions that conflict with climate goals.
- Social costs: displacement, loss of tribal lands and commons; Forest Rights Act and PESA consent and fair rehabilitation are often weakly applied.
- Mitigation: coal washing, efficient supercritical plants, reclamation and mine closure plans, gasification, faster renewables and a just transition for coal regions.
Close with · Coal remains necessary in the medium term, but 'inevitable' should mean managed use with strict safeguards while alternatives scale up.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 189 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
Coal is India's largest source of electricity and a key input for steel and cement, yet mining scars land, forest, air and water and displaces communities.
Why coal remains necessary
- Energy security: domestic coal is the most abundant conventional fuel and supports base-load power, while renewables still face intermittency and storage limits.
- Industrial inputs: steel, cement and fertilisers need coal and coke; replacing them with imports would strain foreign exchange and supply.
- Livelihoods and revenue: mining districts in Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh depend on jobs, royalties and district mineral funds.
The adverse impact
- Environmental: forest loss, land subsidence, mine fires as at Jharia, acid mine drainage, dust, and carbon emissions that conflict with climate goals.
- Social: displacement and loss of tribal lands and commons, with consent under the Forest Rights Act and PESA and fair rehabilitation often weakly applied.
Managing the inevitability
- Coal washing and supercritical plants to cut emissions per unit; reclamation and mine-closure plans; coal gasification; faster renewable growth; and a just transition for coal-dependent regions.
Coal will be needed in the medium term, but 'inevitable' must mean disciplined use under strict safeguards while alternatives scale up.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.