Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Coal and Mines recently launched the portal “Noble Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of National Civil Services Examination (NIRMAN)”.

About NIRMAN Scheme

• Noble Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of the National Civil Services Examination (NIRMAN) is a unique Corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme by Coal India Limited (CIL) designed to support meritorious candidates from its operational districts.

• The NIRMAN scheme is tailored to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,00,000 to candidates who have successfully cleared the preliminary round of the UPSC Civil Services and Forest Service Examinations in 2024.

• The eligible beneficiaries include those with an annual family income of less than Rs 8 lakhs, and who are permanent residents of the 39 districts where CIL operates. 

• This support extends to individuals from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), as well as femaleand third-gender candidates.

• The application process for NIRMAN is fully digital, facilitated through a dedicated portal. 

Key Facts about Coal India Limited (CIL):

• It is a Govt of India owned Maharatna company.

• is the single largest coal producer in the world.

• It contributes to 85% of total domestic coal production and 75% of total coal-based generation. 

• CIL contributes to 55% of total power generation and meets 40 % of the primary commercial energy requirements of the country.

• CIL functions through its subsidiaries in 84 mining areas spread over eight states in India. 

• CIL has 313 mines (as of 1st April 2024), of which 131 are underground, 168 are opencast, and 14 are mixed mines.

• It operates Asia’s largest opencast coal mine at Gevra, Chhattisgarh.