Context: 

Recently, South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’, became the first and only CSR scheme of any coal Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to be listed on the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) portal.

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL)

• SECL is the highest coal-producing company in India. 
• This Coal India subsidiary operates 64 coal mines, of which 39 coal mines lie in Chhattisgarh State, while rest 25 coal mines are situated in Madhya Pradesh state. 
• Out of these 64 coal mines, 45 mines are worked by underground method of mining while rest 19 mines are Opencast mines.
• SECL is also committed towards the operational aspect of the coal carbonization plant of the Dankuni coal complex at Dankuni, West Bengal.

‘SECL Ke Sushrut’

It is a flagship educational initiative introduced in 2023 with the support of the Ministry of Coal under SECL’s CSR programs.

This initiative was designed to provide free residential medical coaching to Class 12 students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in the coal belt areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

It was also designed to provide free medical coaching to 40 students preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

• In NEET 2024 results, 39 out of the 40 students enrolled in the program have cleared the cut-off and passed the exam, delivering a remarkable 98% success rate.

This initiative marks a significant milestone in SECL’s efforts to empower communities in the coal belt through better education.

The DBT initiative

• With its inclusion in the DBT portal, ‘SECL Ke Sushrut’ is set to ensure greater efficiency, transparency, and accessibility, allowing eligible students to avail themselves of coaching support with ease.
• DBT aims to reform the delivery of benefits and subsidies by directly transferring funds to beneficiaries' bank accounts, minimizing leakages, and ensuring effective utilization of resources.
• At present, the DBT portal features approximately 325 schemes from 55 ministries.