Coal Production commences from Urtan and Dhirauli Mines in Madhya Pradesh

• Urtan (Anuppur, MP) and Dhirauli (Singrauli, MP) coal mines commenced production in May 2026 under the commercial coal mine auction regime.
• Urtan is the first underground coal mine to begin production under the commercial auction route — a structural shift, since commercial-auction success has so far been dominated by open-cast blocks.
• Relevance for UPSC: tests MMDR Amendment Act, 2020, end-of-Coal India monopoly, Aatmanirbhar Bharat energy-security narrative, and revenue-share auction mechanism.