UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Parliamentary panel calls for upgrading coal washery infra
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding coking coal and non-coking coal washing in India:
1. Of the thirteen new washeries in Coal India Limited's announced plan, one is meant for non-coking coal and the remaining ones for coking coal.
2. Coal India Limited's existing non-coking coal washeries number three, with a combined capacity of about 23 million tonnes per year.
3. Raw coking coal production of 140 million tonnes projected for 2030 is expected to yield about 48 million tonnes of usable coking coal after washing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Of the thirteen new washeries in Coal India Limited's announced plan, one is meant for non-coking coal and the remaining ones for coking coal.
- Coal India Limited's existing non-coking coal washeries number three, with a combined capacity of about 23 million tonnes per year.
- Raw coking coal production of 140 million tonnes projected for 2030 is expected to yield about 48 million tonnes of usable coking coal after washing.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. With reference to the mechanical beneficiation (washing) of coal before dispatch, consider the following outcomes:
1. Reduction in the ash content of coal supplied to power and steel plants.
2. Reduction in the quantity of non-combustible material hauled over long rail distances.
3. Increase in the total tonnage of coal that must be railed to a power plant for the same usable energy output.
4. Availability of usable coking coal for the steel sector out of raw coking coal.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- Reduction in the ash content of coal supplied to power and steel plants.
- Reduction in the quantity of non-combustible material hauled over long rail distances.
- Increase in the total tonnage of coal that must be railed to a power plant for the same usable energy output.
- Availability of usable coking coal for the steel sector out of raw coking coal.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q3. The programme under which India's coal beneficiation capacity is being raised from about 30 MT to 58 MT by FY2030 — launched in FY 2021-22 to meet demand projected in the National Steel Policy, 2017 — is:
- A. SHAKTI, the scheme of the Ministry of Coal for transparent allocation of coal linkages to the power sector
- B. The National Coal Index-based revenue-sharing regime introduced for commercial coal block auctions
- C. Mission Coking Coal, an initiative of the Ministry of Coal under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework
- D. The Coal Logistics Plan of the Ministry of Coal for first-mile connectivity and mechanised evacuation
Q4. Among coal companies with newly planned coking coal washeries, which one accounts for the largest combined planned capacity?
- A. Bharat Coking Coal Limited, with three new washeries of about 7 MTY combined capacity
- B. Central Coalfields Limited, with five new washeries of about 14.5 MTY combined capacity
- C. South Eastern Coalfields Limited, with three new washeries of about 11.6 MTY combined capacity
- D. Singareni Collieries Company Limited, with one new washery of about 1.0 MTPA operational capacity
Q5. Which one of the following best describes the assigned functions of a department-related parliamentary standing committee, such as the one on Coal, Mines and Steel?
- A. To exercise general superintendence over the day-to-day administration of the related ministries and issue binding directions to them
- B. To audit the annual accounts and appropriation of the related ministries after the close of the financial year and certify them
- C. To scrutinise every ordinance promulgated in the subject areas of the related ministries before it is laid before the two Houses
- D. To consider the Demands for Grants, Bills referred to it, and annual reports of the related ministries, and report thereon
Q6. Secretarial assistance to the Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel, whose 31 members are drawn from both Houses, is provided by:
- A. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat, since ten of the committee's members are nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha
- B. The Lok Sabha Secretariat, the committee being one of those serviced by that Secretariat and chaired by a Lok Sabha member
- C. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, which coordinates committee business on behalf of the Government of India
- D. The Cabinet Secretariat, through its parliamentary coordination wing dealing with committee references
Q7. The requirement of prior permission of the Coal Controller's Organisation for disposal of coal washery rejects was dispensed with for two of the three permitted routes by:
- A. The Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which also empowered Boards of coal companies on mine opening
- B. The Gazette notification dated 21 May 2020 governing use of coal by coal-based thermal power plants
- C. An Office Memorandum of the Ministry of Coal issued in December 2025 amending the existing policy
- D. The Coal Mines (Conservation and Development) Act, 1974 read with the rules framed under it in 1975
Q8. Consider the following uses of coal washery rejects:
1. Extraction of energy.
2. Reclamation of land.
3. Brick making.
4. Blending with imported coking coal for direct supply to steel plants.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as uses permitted under the policy governing disposal of washery rejects?
- Extraction of energy.
- Reclamation of land.
- Brick making.
- Blending with imported coking coal for direct supply to steel plants.
- A. 1 and 4
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 3 only
Q9. Consider the following statements about ownership and operating models of coal washeries in India:
1. The 1.0 MTPA washery at Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district works on a Build-Own-Operate basis and belongs to a State public sector undertaking rather than a Coal India subsidiary.
2. The Madhuband washery of 5.0 MTPA capacity, whose commercial operations were started by Bharat Coking Coal Limited, is a coking coal washery.
3. The 2.0 MTPA Bhojudih washery commissioned by Bharat Coking Coal Limited is a non-coking coal washery.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The 1.0 MTPA washery at Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district works on a Build-Own-Operate basis and belongs to a State public sector undertaking rather than a Coal India subsidiary.
- The Madhuband washery of 5.0 MTPA capacity, whose commercial operations were started by Bharat Coking Coal Limited, is a coking coal washery.
- The 2.0 MTPA Bhojudih washery commissioned by Bharat Coking Coal Limited is a non-coking coal washery.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Consider the following coal companies associated with washery operations in India:
1. Central Coalfields Limited
2. Bharat Coking Coal Limited
3. Singareni Collieries Company Limited
4. South Eastern Coalfields Limited
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as subsidiaries of Coal India Limited?
- Central Coalfields Limited
- Bharat Coking Coal Limited
- Singareni Collieries Company Limited
- South Eastern Coalfields Limited
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q11. Consider the following pairs relating to India's push for coking coal self-reliance:
1. Mission Coking Coal — Ministry of Coal
2. National Steel Policy, 2017 — document whose demand projection the coking coal mission seeks to meet
3. Notification of coking coal as a critical mineral — measure aimed at cutting steel-sector import dependence
4. Ceiling of 34% ash content for coal supplied to distant thermal power plants — Ministry of Coal notification
Which of the above pairs is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Mission Coking Coal — Ministry of Coal
- National Steel Policy, 2017 — document whose demand projection the coking coal mission seeks to meet
- Notification of coking coal as a critical mineral — measure aimed at cutting steel-sector import dependence
- Ceiling of 34% ash content for coal supplied to distant thermal power plants — Ministry of Coal notification
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q12. Which one of the following is the principal environmental gain attributed to beneficiating coal at the pithead before dispatch?
- A. Complete removal of sulphur from coal, rendering flue-gas desulphurisation unnecessary at the receiving plant
- B. Total elimination of solid waste, since the entire reject fraction is consumed within the washery premises itself
- C. Permanent removal of the requirement that coal be moved in covered railway wagons or covered conveyors
- D. Lower ash in the delivered coal, cutting fly ash generated at the plant and the inert load hauled by rail