The Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, hosted a two-day national seminar on April 16 and 17, 2025, in Bengaluru. The focus of the seminar was on the “Safety Challenges in Bulk Material Handling Equipment in Mining (Coal and Non-Coal).” The event was held under the leadership of Shri Ujjwal Tah, Director General of DGMS, who served as the Chief Patron.
The seminar was chaired by Shri D Bageshwar Naik, Deputy Director General (Mechanical), with Shri Ajay Singh (DDG, Electrical) and Shri RT Mandekar (DDG, North West Zone) as co-convenors. Key industry leaders such as Shri PM Prasad (CMD, CIL), Shri Amitava Mukherjee (CMD, NMDC), Shri Uday A. Kaole (CMD, MCL), and Shri N Balram (CMD, SCCL) supported the seminar as patrons.
Several senior figures from the mining industry and government, including Shri Vinay Kumar (Director, NMDC), Shri SK Sinha (Director, HCL), Shri Nirbhay Sancheti (Director, SMS), and regional DDGs like Shri R.A. Meena (West Zone), Shri Suprio Chakraborty (East Zone), and Shri Neeraj Kumar (North Zone), attended the event. Shri Satyanarayana, Director at SCCL, was also present.
Participants included representatives from leading mining companies like CIL, NMDC, SCCL, HZL, HCL, MCL, Tata Steel, and JSW. Academics from top mining institutions, global safety experts, researchers, and equipment manufacturers also took part. Over the two days, 30 technical papers were presented, and 58 papers were published in the seminar souvenir. These papers explored current safety concerns related to bulk material handling and proposed practical steps to reduce associated risks.
The discussions aimed to raise safety standards, enhance awareness, and support stronger enforcement of safety regulations across the mining sector. The event ended with a closing ceremony that included recognition of participants and contributors to the seminar.
