Raipur, 2 November 2026. The Ministry of Coal, Government of India, organised the Star Rating Awards Ceremony 2026 today at Mayfair Lake Resort in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. A total of 50 five-star mines across the country were honoured for outstanding performance in coal and lignite mining, based on the assessment for the financial year 2024–25. These comprised 15 underground and 35 opencast mines. The awards recognised the contributions of mines that have achieved excellence in safe, efficient, scientific and environmentally friendly mining.

The Chief Guest, Union.

Vijay Kumar during the Star Rating Awards Ceremony in Raipur. Attended by key Ministry of Coal officials, including Additional Secretary Shri Sanoj Kumar Jha and Coal Controller Shri Satish Kumar, the event recognized the operational excellence and collective dedication of Moonidih Colliery’s officers and workforce.

In the individual category, Shri P. R. Tripathi, Area General Manager, Jamuna Kotma Area, received the Best Area GM Award, while Shri Srikanta Das, General Manager (E&M), Headquarters, was honoured with the Best HOD Award. Shri Bipin Kumar Lal, General Manager (Mining/Land & Revenue), Headquarters, received the Individual Excellence Award, and Smt. Parvati Singh, EP Fitter Grade-D, Central Excavation Workshop, Gevra, was conferred the Women Excellence Award in the Non-Executive category. These recognitions highlight SECL’s organisational excellence and the dedication and contributions of its employees.

The awards were received on behalf of GAIL by Kapil Kumar Jain, Executive Director (RM & TQM); Asim Prasad, Executive Director (CSPA & CA); S. Basu, Chief General Manager (Marketing–International LNG); and Amitabh Ranjan, General Manager (CSPA).

The recognition highlights NTPC’s commitment to developing future-ready leaders through structured leadership development programmes, innovative learning initiatives and a culture of continuous growth. The achievement reinforces the organisation’s focus on strengthening leadership capabilities and promoting organisational excellence.

The award recognises Shri Hemant Kumar’s contribution to advancing technology and innovation in the pipeline sector and reflects MECON’s continued commitment to excellence in engineering, consultancy and project development in the Oil & Gas domain.

Pipe-Tech 2026 brought together industry leaders, technology experts, engineering professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on emerging technologies, innovations and developments shaping the future of pipeline infrastructure.

The recognition is a significant achievement for Shri Hemant Kumar and is a testament to the expertise and professional excellence of MECON’s Oil & Gas team.

Shri Suraj Kumar received the prestigious award in the Best Non-Feature Film category for his documentary “Piplantri: A Tale of Eco-Feminism”, which highlights important social and environmental values.

The documentary presents the inspiring story of Piplantri and explores how grief can be transformed into hope, ecology into collective responsibility, and the birth of a girl child into a celebration of life. Through a sensitive portrayal of social and environmental transformation, the film underscores the close relationship between gender equality, community participation and ecological conservation.

Shri Suraj Kumar heads his production company, Johnson-Suraj Films International. His notable directorial works include the Indo-Argentine film “Thinking of Him” (2017), based on Rabindranath Tagore’s historic visit to Argentina; “Sri Aurobindo – Beginning of a Spiritual Journey” (2022); and the web series “Vidarbha Ki Virasat – Karvat Kathi Sarees”.

The National Film Award marks another significant milestone in Shri Suraj Kumar’s distinguished career as a filmmaker committed to socially relevant and culturally meaningful cinema.

The Public Relations Society , Delhi (PRSD) congratulated Shri Suraj Kumar on receiving the prestigious National Award and expressed its appreciation for his contribution to Indian cinema and his continued efforts to highlight important social, cultural and environmental issues through filmmaking.