**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Coal has officially notified South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) flagship CSR initiative, 'SECL Ke Sushrut,' in the Gazette of India as of July 10, 2026. This landmark notification makes it the first CSR scheme of any Coal PSU to be gazetted, enabling Aadhaar-based authentication for the transparent and efficient delivery of benefits. The initiative focuses on providing free residential NEET coaching to students from mining communities to support their entry into medical and healthcare professions.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Gazette Notification and Governance**
* 'SECL Ke Sushrut' is the first CSR scheme by a Coal PSU to receive a Gazette notification.
* The notification enables voluntary Aadhaar authentication for beneficiaries under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, and the 2020 Rules for Good Governance.
* The framework ensures targeted delivery of benefits while providing alternative identity document options for those not using Aadhaar.
* The scheme is the first and only Coal PSU CSR initiative listed on the Government of India's Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal.
**Program Scope and Objectives**
* Launched in 2023, the program provides free residential coaching for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
* Eligibility is restricted to meritorious students residing in SECL's operational areas.
* The primary goal is to enable students from mining communities to pursue careers in medicine and allied healthcare.
**Performance and Outcomes**
* **Batch 2023–24:** 39 out of 40 students qualified for NEET, with admissions secured in MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BPTH, and Veterinary courses.
* **Batch 2024–25:** 31 out of 40 students qualified for NEET, leading to admissions in MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc.).
* All admissions for successful candidates are within government institutions in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
**Impact Analysis**
**Meritorious Students (Beneficiaries)**
**Impact**
Students from SECL's operational areas receive high-quality residential coaching at no cost, facilitating their entry into government medical colleges. The Gazette notification ensures easier, more transparent access to these benefits.
**Action Required**
Eligible students must provide voluntary Aadhaar authentication or alternative government-approved identity documents to access the scheme’s benefits.
**South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL)**
**Impact**
The company’s institutional framework is strengthened through enhanced accountability and transparency. It sets a precedent as the first Coal PSU to align a CSR scheme with national DBT and Gazette standards.
**Action Required**
SECL must continue to implement the technology-enabled delivery system and maintain the governance standards required by the Aadhaar Act and DBT portal.
**Ministry of Coal**
**Impact**
The Ministry achieves a milestone in its vision for technology-enabled and transparent service delivery within the coal sector's social responsibility framework.
**Action Required**
The Ministry has issued the necessary notification and continues to provide guidance to its subsidiaries to align CSR initiatives with national governance frameworks.
Key Entities Referenced
SECL Ke Sushrut: The flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of SECL that provides free residential NEET coaching to students from mining communities to pursue medical careers.
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL): A Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary of Coal India and the first Coal PSU to have its CSR scheme notified in the Gazette of India for technology-enabled benefit delivery.
Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016: The legal framework under which the Gazette notification was issued to enable Aadhaar authentication for beneficiaries of the CSR initiative.
Ministry of Coal: The primary government authority that issued the Gazette notification to facilitate transparent and targeted delivery of benefits under the SECL Ke Sushrut scheme.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal: The Government of India platform where SECL Ke Sushrut became the first and only Coal PSU CSR scheme to be listed for robust governance.
Ministry of Coal
Ministry of Coal notifies SECL's flagship CSR
initiative 'SECL Ke Sushrut' in the Gazette of
India
SECL's flagship CSR initiative becomes the first Coal PSU
CSR scheme to receive Gazette notification, enabling
transparent, efficient and technology-enabled delivery of
benefits
प्रव तथ: 10 JUL 2026 9:17PM by PIB Delhi
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), the Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary, has achieved
another significant milestone under the guidance of the Ministry of Coal with its flagship Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiative 'SECL Ke Sushrut' becoming the first CSR scheme of any Coal PSU to be
notified in the Gazette of India.
The Ministry of Coal has issued a Gazette Notification enabling Aadhaar authentication for beneficiaries
of SECL Ke Sushrut, under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other
Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 and the Aadhaar Authentication for Good Governance (Social
Welfare, Innovation and Knowledge) Rules, 2020. The notification facilitates transparent, efficient and
targeted delivery of benefits to beneficiaries through voluntary Aadhaar authentication, while also
providing alternative government-approved identity documents for those who choose not to use Aadhaar.Launched by SECL in 2023, SECL Ke Sushrut is the company's flagship CSR initiative that provides free
residential NEET coaching to meritorious students from SECL's operational areas, enabling them to
pursue careers in medicine and allied healthcare.
The programme has consistently delivered exceptional results. In its first batch (2023–24), 39 out of 40
students qualified NEET, with 11 students securing admission to MBBS, 2 each to BDS, BAMS and
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPTH) programmes, while 2 students secured admission to Veterinary courses
in government colleges of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The second batch (2024–25) also recorded impressive success, with 31 out of 40 students qualifying
NEET, leading to admissions in MBBS, BDS, BAMS and Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc.)
programmes in government institutions.
The Gazette notification marks another important milestone in the evolution of SECL Ke Sushrut,
strengthening its institutional framework and further enhancing transparency, accountability and ease of
access for beneficiaries.Notably, the initiative had earlier become the first and only CSR scheme of any Coal PSU to be listed on
the Government of India's Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal, reaffirming its robust governance
framework and alignment with the Government of India's vision of technology-enabled and transparent
service delivery.
Through SECL Ke Sushrut, SECL continues to create opportunities for talented students from mining
communities while contributing to the nation's healthcare ecosystem by nurturing the next generation of
medical professionals.
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Prajith Kumar MV/ Shuhaib T.
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