THE JTDC–CCL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): THE POLICY EXPLANATION AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR JHARKHAND'S MINING TOURISM INITIATIVE.

The institutional framework and policy justification for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) to start India's first state-run miningtourism initiative are examined in this study.Signed in July 2025, the agreement sets up a five-year contract to create thematic circuits that combine industrial legacy with local natural and cultural assets and to offer guided tours of the North Urimari open-cast mine (Ramgarh area).The study puts the initiative within Jharkhand's tourism policy priorities, evaluates the stated justifications-economic diversification, heritage interpretation, and experiential education-and reconstructs the MoU's operational architecture (roles, duration, booking/price arrangements, safety responsibilities) using only secondary data (official press releases, media reports, public statements, and related policy documents).Based on the findings, the MoU uses a public-PSU partnership model, with JTDC managing bookings and revenue collection and CCL taking care of site logistics, guides, and safety clearance.Slightly smaller guided groups (10-20 people), fewer weekly departures, and tentative pricing (reported at 2,500-2,800 per person) are among the initial operational parameters.JTDC additionally pays CCL a small charge per person for on-site hospitality.The media frames safety, preservation of the environment, and community inclusion while highlighting innovation, education, and state pride.The study ends with governance recommendations to improve safety transparency, community benefit-sharing, monitoring and evaluation techniques, and a research agenda for comprehensive primary evaluation of impacts.