New Delhi : Coal India Limited has inaugurated its first dispensary operated and managed entirely by women at Vasant Vihar Dispensary, Bilaspur in South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) on dated 14th July, 2025. The dispensary is staffed by an all Women team delivering comprehensive healthcare.
Various significant women-led initiatives have been implemented to further our commitment to gender equity and institutional excellence and to enhance participation of women in the coal sector and the creation of leadership opportunities for them across the country in diverse field such as healthcare, technical, planning units, etc.
i) The all women led initiatives implemented and functional across different subsidiaries of CIL are as below:
Vasant Vihar Dispensary, Bilaspur, SECL.
Rajendra Nagar Dispensary, Ranchi, CCL
Koyla Nagar Hospital (Morning shift), Dhanbad, BCCL
Sadbhavana Colony Dispensary, Patansaongi, Nagpur, WCL
Condition Based Monitoring Laboratory at Central Excavation Workshop, Gevra, SECL.
Centralised Technical Centre for LED & Solar Equipment at Dhanbad.
Cost & Budget Cell at NCL HQ, Singrauli, NCL.
ii) Coal India Limited (CIL) through its apex training institute, the Indian Institute of Coal Management (IICM), has launched “Jyoti – Rising Together, Leading the Way”, a flagship Women’s Leadership initiative. This is a structured five-month women leadership journey designed to prepare female executives for higher responsibilities within CIL by strengthening competencies in communication, decision-making, emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, personal growth and leadership readiness. The programme also provides exposure to best practices, networking opportunities, mentorship and institutional support, thereby creating a strong pipeline of women leaders in the coal sector.
iii) Female dependents are now considered for dependent employment upon death of the employee irrespective of their marital status which was not so earlier in the Coal India Limited.
iv) In order to encourage the increased participation of women in organizational matter and broader commitment of Coal India Limited towards gender sensitivity, equity and inclusiveness, it has been made essential in all Committees to include one representative of woman.
v) Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) has inaugurated its first centralized technical centre for the repair and maintenance of LED and solar energy equipment operated entirely by women technicians. The centre, based in Koyla Nagar, Dhanbad marks a pioneering step in bringing women into core technical operations traditionally dominated by male staff.
vi) Furthering its commitment to gender equity and institutional excellence across Coal India Limited & its subsidiaries, women employees are sent to underground training for acquiring Mining Sirdar Certificate of Competency.
vii) Women are encouraged to participate in rescue works and also imparted training in Rescue and Recovery work. Till date, 19 female employees from Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) and 9 women from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) have been imparted training in Rescue and Recovery work.
viii) To safeguard women employees, Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) have been constituted under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, (POSH Act). The committees are functioning for preventing, prohibiting, and addressing sexual harassment of women at the workplace.
ix) Further, NLC India Limited (NLCIL) is actively participating in this initiative and employed women inside its Mines. In NLCIL’s mining domain, 190 women are employed, with 48 holding executive positions. For the first time in its history, NLCIL has integrated women into core mining operations, marking a milestone in the company’s commitment to gender inclusivity. Women have been employed in key statutory positions such as surveyors, mining sirdars and overmen across nine statutory posts.
This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
