Coal Ministry launches 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions with 11 blocks
The Ministry of Coal launched the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions on 17 April 2026, offering 11 coal blocks across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.
Summary
Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt launched the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions on 17 April 2026, at a stakeholder consultation on 'Atmanirbhar Bharat: Coal for Energy Security'. The round offers 11 coal blocks: 7 fully explored and 4 partially explored; 3 under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and 8 under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957; and 1 coking and 10 non-coking blocks. Six mines are also being offered in the second attempt of the 13th round. The blocks are in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. The Ministry has so far auctioned 135 coal mines over 13 rounds.
Key facts
- Round
- 15th commercial coal mine auction; launched 17 April 2026
- Blocks
- 11 (7 fully + 4 partially explored)
- Laws
- 3 under CMSP Act 2015; 8 under MMDR Act 1957
- Type
- 1 coking, 10 non-coking
- States
- Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, MP, Telangana
- So far
- 135 mines auctioned in 13 rounds
Practice MCQs 2 questions
How many coal blocks are offered in the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions launched on 17 April 2026?
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Correct answer: C — 11
11 coal blocks are offered (7 fully and 4 partially explored); 6 more are offered in the second attempt of the 13th round.
Consider the following statements about the 15th round of commercial coal mine auctions: 1. Of the 11 blocks, 8 are offered under the MMDR Act, 1957 and 3 under the CMSP Act, 2015. 2. All 11 blocks are coking coal blocks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: only 1 block is coking coal; 10 are non-coking.