RANCHI: Akansha Kumari of Barkagaon in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand has become the first Indian woman mining engineer to join Coal India Limited (CIL).
She joined Churi underground mines, in the North Karanpura area of CCL, located in the state.
According to officials, though woman employees have been shouldering responsibilities ranging from officer to doctor to the security guard and even running heavy machines such as dumper and shovel and have excelled in their role, this is for the first time that core mining activity of one of the biggest coal mining company of the world will witness this progressive change.
The enormity of her achievement could be gauged by the fact that Akanksha is the second mining engineer in the Maharatna Conglomerate Coal India Limited (CIL) and the first one to work in an underground coal mine, they said.
Akansha, a resident of Barkagaon in Hazaribagh, completed her schooling from Navodaya Vidyalaya. Belonging to a mining belt, she witnessed coal mining activities from close quarters and was enamored by it since her childhood.
Thus, she developed a natural inquisitiveness towards mines and their activities since childhood, which led her to opt for mining engineering at BIT Sindri in Dhanbad. Before joining Coal India Limited, she worked for three years in Hindustan Zinc Limited’s Balaria mines in Rajasthan. She credits her family for unflinching support to follow her dreams.
“Joining Coal India Limited was the fulfillment of her childhood dream and hope to deliver my best to the company,” said Akansha.
Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, CMD P.M Prasad, along with the entire CCL family congratulated Akansha and expressed hope that she will contribute to the company’s future.