1. Coal sector was nationalised by the Government of India under Indira Gandhi.
2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.
3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal products.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The coal sector in India was nationalized in two phases under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The first phase took place in 1971 with the nationalization of coking coal mines, and the second phase occurred in 1973 with the nationalization of non-coking coal mines. This was done to ensure proper development of the coal sector and to prevent exploitation by private players.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Coal blocks are not allocated on a lottery basis. The allocation of coal blocks in India is done through a transparent and competitive bidding process as per the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. This process ensures fairness and efficiency in the allocation of coal re-sources.
Statement 3 is incorrect: India still imports coal to meet its domestic demand, particularly high-grade coal that is not sufficiently available domestically. Despite having large coal reserves, India faces challenges in coal production, transportation, and quality, which necessitate imports. India is not self-sufficient in coal products.
For S3, "India is self sufficient in coal now". Wow! UPSC selling dreams. Basic common sense can tell this is extreme and false.