New Delhi, July 11: The Ministry of Coal has officially notified South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’, which provides free residential coaching for NEET aspirants from the company’s operational areas. The programme, launched in 2023, is aimed at helping meritorious students from mining communities pursue careers in medicine.
The Ministry has issued a Gazette Notification enabling voluntary Aadhaar authentication for beneficiaries of the scheme. The move is expected to ensure transparent, efficient and targeted delivery of benefits, while also allowing students to use other government-approved identity documents if they choose not to authenticate through Aadhaar.
According to SECL, the gazette notification formally recognises the programme and marks a first for the coal public sector sector, highlighting the growing role of coal companies in supporting education and social development through CSR initiatives. The company said the recognition will strengthen the institutional framework for its CSR programmes and facilitate the expansion of initiatives in healthcare, education, skill development and livelihoods.
Commenting on the development, Harish Duhan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD), SECL, said, “‘SECL Ke Sushrut’ is transforming the aspirations of talented students from coalfield communities into opportunities. The Gazette Notification is a significant milestone that reinforces our commitment to transparent, inclusive and impactful development in line with the Government of India’s vision.”
The initiative had earlier become the first and only CSR scheme by a Coal PSU to be listed on the Government of India’s Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal, reflecting its strong governance framework and alignment with the Centre’s focus on technology-enabled, transparent service delivery.
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