India's coal dependence will peak before it declines. Discuss the components of a just transition for coal-belt communities.

Coal still meets most of India's power demand, and its use is expected to rise before it falls. The NITI Aayog Inter-Ministerial Committee therefore treats the coal exit as something to plan in phases, not a sudden stop [1]. A just transition means closing mines without leaving workers, women and coal-belt districts behind. Several things have to work together for that to happen.

1. Planned, phased closure

• Close low-capacity mines first to buy time for coal districts to adjust [1].
• Plan the transition before the mine closes, with labour transition programmes and safety nets ahead of job losses [2].

2. Income and job security for all workers

• Provide temporary income support, retraining and labour-mobility schemes for those who lose work [2].
• Include informal and contract workers, who are often missed by support aimed at permanent staff. Ramgarh (Jharkhand) is one example [3].

3. Gender inclusion

• Women's work in the coal economy is largely informal, "invisible" and unpaid [4]. They need priority access to skilling and to new green jobs.

4. Land and environmental restoration

• Only 15 mines have received final closure certificates, a first since Independence [5].
• CAG found 35 old ECL mines with no Mine Closure Status Report [6]. Clearing this backlog of old, unrecorded mines has to come first.
• The 2022 CBA Act land policy allows reclaimed land to be leased for renewable energy and rehabilitation of displaced families [7].

5. Economic diversification with community voice

• SUVIKALP, developed by the Coal Controller Organisation, ranks options for reusing closed mines. Its RECLAIM module brings in community priorities on livelihoods and infrastructure [8].
• Repurposed sites, such as solar parks, pisciculture and eco-tourism, can be paired with District Mineral Foundation funds to build a broader local economy.

6. Governance and finance

• Make the escrow closure funds match the real restoration cost of each site.
• Publish the scores behind each repurposing decision so people can see how options were chosen [8].

A just transition is therefore more than closing mines. It needs phased timing, income security, gender equity, restored land and new local economies, all decided with the people affected. If India puts its new tools to work through the NITI committee's phased approach, its coal peak can lead to fairer regional development, in line with SDG 7, SDG 8 and the Constitution's promise of social and economic justice.