BYELAWS FOR THE CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS AND GRANT OF OVERMAN’S CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY

1. Application to be supported by documents: - No application shall be considered unless it is supported it is supported by original Certificates as to qualifications (i.e sirdar, Valid Gas-testing Certificate, Valid First Aid Certificate, Degree or Diploma in Mining approved by the Board in this behalf) and as to literacy, sound health character and evidence showing that the prescribed fee has been paid.

2. Holding of Examination: - Examination shall be held at such times and such places as may be fixed by the Board and notified to the candidates. The examination fees of a candidate who fails to appear for an examination at the appointed place and time without sufficient cause to the satisfaction of the Chief Inspector shall be forfeited.

3. Appointment of Examiners: - (1) So far as practicable the examiners appointed by the Board for each examination shall be two agents or managers holding the First Class Manager's Certificate and an Inspector of Mines who shall also act as the Local Secretary for the examination.

(2) Except in an emergency no member of the Board shall act as an examiner.

4. Subjects and Syllabus for examination: - Candidate shall be examined in the following four subjects: -

(a) General Safety and Legislation.

(b) Methods of working.

(d) Elements of Mining Machinery.

(a) Detailed syllabus is laid out in Appendix-I

5. Type of Examination: - (1) The examination will consist of one written paper (of two hours duration) and an oral test by two examiners.

Provided that if a candidate possesses a Degree or Diploma in Mining approved by the Board in this behalf, he shall be exempted from the written test, referred to above.

(2) The written paper shall be meant mainly to test the candidate’s ability to write reports, to express himself clearly in and to answer elementary questions relating to the various subjects mentioned in bye-law 4. The technical and professional knowledge of the candidate shall be tested mainly at the oral test.

(3) The written paper may be answered in English, Hindi or the language of the district in which examination is held. The oral test will also be conducted in these languages.

(4) The question paper for the written examination shall be sent by the examiner concerned in consultation with the Local Secretary.

(5) The oral test for all candidates may be held at the date or dates on or after the written examination of the candidates who are not holders of a Degree or Diploma in Mining Engineering approved by the Board. The date and place of the oral test shall be notified to the candidate by the Local Secretary.

6. Examination marks: - (1) The written paper and oral test by each of the examiners shall each carry a maximum of 50 marks making a total of 150 marks.

(2) If a candidate secures less than 40% marks in the written paper, he shall not be eligible for oral test. In order to pass in the examination a candidate shall have to secure at least 40% marks in oral test with each examiner and at least 50% marks in aggregate of the written and oral test.

7. Re-examination: - A candidate who has failed in an examination for a Mine Foreman’s Certificate shall not be eligible for re-examination for a period of six months from the date of the examination when he failed.

8. Identity and conduct of examination: - (a) While appearing in examination every candidate shall conduct himself as required by the Secretary.

(b) The rules laid down in Appendix-II shall apply to the conduct of written examination.

(c) In oral examination, every candidate shall bring authorisation issued to him by the Secretary and also produce two copies of his recent, clear, ummounted photographs of passport size duly attested on the back by the manager or mine where he is employed or Head of Technical Institution where he studied or a Gazetted Officer to the effect that the candidate is Shri (Name of the candidate) and the photographs is of the said candidate.

9. Penalty for misconduct: - Any candidate who submits a false certificate or counterfeits a certificate or makes a false declaration or adopts unfair means during the examination, may be disqualified by the Board and also debarred from appearing at any subsequent examination for a specified period not exceeding three years depending upon the facts of the case.

10. Declaration of results: - The result of the examination shall be notified in writing to the individual candidate concerned at a later date.

11. Cancellation of Result etc.: - If a candidate who has been declared successful in any examination for the grant of a certificate, is found to have submitted a false certificate or to have counterfeited a certificate or to have made a false declaration, the Board may cancel his result or withdraw the certificate issued to him, as the case may be.

12. For purpose of these Byelaws a Degree or Diploma in Mining approved by the Central Government under 2 proviso Regulation 18(1) of the Coal Mines Regulations, 1957, shall be considered to be the Degree or Diploma approved by the Board referred to in these Byelaws.

APPENDIX-I

SYLLABUS FOR THE EXAMINATION FOR OVERMAN’S CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY.

(a) General Safety and Legislation

Duties and responsibilities of workmen, competent persons and officials (excluding managers, assistant manager, engineers and surveyors). Discipline amongst workers and control of staff.

Provisions of the Coal Mines Regulations and Rules relating to Mine Workings, Explosives and Shotfiring, Haulage. General knowledge of regulations and rules relating to Ventilation, precautions against danger from fire, dust, gas and water, and of other provisions, the enforcement of and compliance with which is and can be the responsibility of mine Foreman.

Writing of reports required to be made by mine foreman under the regulations.

Dangerous occurrences in mines and, how to deal with them. Accidents. Their causes and prevention. Accident reports. Disturbing the place of accident.

Mine Rescue. Physiological effect of mine gases. Rescue equipment. First Aid.

Sanitation and health. Miners’ diseases. Their main symptoms and prevention. Suppression of dust.

(b) Methods of working

Nature of occurrence of mineral deposits. Dangers and precautionary measures while approaching geological disturbances.

The purpose and utility of boreholes in mines, shaft sinking, safety devices. Shaft supports, temporary and permanent in sinking and working shafts. Examination of shafts and outlets.

Opencast methods of mining mechanised and hand-cut working. Benching and other safety, precautions.

Underground mining, General principles of development and stopping. Stone drifting.

Support of strata-Roadway and face supports, their types setting, withdrawal etc. Packing and stowing.

Elements of roof control – Protection of surface structures. Working beneath statutorily restricted areas and surface structures.

Gates and fencing, different kinds of fences.

Inspection of workings and roadways.

Travelling roadway, their maintenance and Inspection.

Reading of statutory plans.

Use and safe handling of explosives in coal and stone, in gassy and non-gassy mines; simultaneous shotfiring.

(c) Ventilation and Precautions with respect to explosions, Fires, Inundation.

Natural and mechanical ventilation. Ventilation of headings and sinking shafts. Sitting of auxiliary fans underground. Distribution, measurement and control of air in mines. Reading of anemometer. Calculation of areas and Volumes. Maintenance of ventilation appliances.

Elementary knowledge of causes of prevention of firedamp explosion. Limits of inflammability of fire-damp.

Elements of design of flame and electric safety lamps, their use, examination and maintenace.

Pollution of air and irruption of gases in mines. Occurrence properties, characteristics, detection and measurement of firedamp and noxious gases. Sampling of air. Determination of environmental conditions.

Fires and spontaneous heating. Elements of prevention, detecting and controlling mine fires. Sealing off fire-areas. Fire stopping and their examination. Precautions against outbreak of surface fires. Fire fighting both on surface and belowground.

Inspection of old workings.

Sources of danger from surface and underground water. Precautions to prevent inundation and irruptions of water. Boring machines for exploratory working. Water dams, water danger plans.

Recovery of mines after explosions, fires and inundation. Precautionary measure during re-opening and dewatering of mines.

(d) Elements of Mining Machinery

Safety aspects and safe use of different kinds of machinery used in mines Brakes. Generation and use of compressed air. Use of steam engines.

Application of electricity in mines. Safety precautions.

Use of Internal Combustion engines in mines.

Wining equipments, Ropes and guides. Signalling and decking arrangements. Safety devices, examination of winding equipment and shaft fittings.

Haulage and transport. Types of haulages. Rope and locomotive haulage Self-acting inclines. Haulage roads and roadways. Rails and tracks, their maintenance and inspection. Tubs, signalling, safety devices, unsafe practics. Derailments.

Drainage of water lodgments. Types pumps. Principles and use of syphons.

APPENDIX-II

RULES GOVERNING THE CONDUCT OF WRITTEN EXAMINATION.

1. No candidate shall be permitted to attend the examination if he comes to the examination Hall more than 30 minutes after the Scheduled time for the commencement of the Examination. No candidate attending the examination hall within the period of 30 minutes referred to above shall be entitled to any extra compensatory time.

2. No candidate arriving more than 30 minute shall be permitted to attend the examination; and any such candidate shall not be eligible for any extra competency time.

3. Before entering the examination hall, every candidate shall leave all books, notes and paper etc. outside.

4. Every candidate shall be required to sign in a Register in which his Roll Number would be recorded.

5. Paper will be supplied, and no paper other than that so supplied shall be used.

6. Names shall not be written on the answer book. Every candidate shall write his Roll Number at the top of every page of the paper on which he writes the answers to the questions.

7. Ink will be provided. Candidates shall bring their own pens and pencil, drawing pens and drawing instruments etc.

8. The calculations and other work by which a result is obtained shall be clearly shown on the left-hand side page, in immediate connection with answer to the question under reference.

9. Sketches may be male to illustrate answers. When sketches are asked for it should be understand that unless otherwise stated, free hand sketches with dimensions are all that is necessary, and candidate need not spend time in making finished drawing.

10. Any candidate desiring to consult the examiner or requiring any paper or their material should stand in his seat to draw attention but should not shout or call out.

11. Any candidate speaking to any other candidate, or consulting any book or notes, or using paper other than that supplied by the Board or using any other unfair means or noting in a manner considered improper by the examiner shall be liable to be disqualified. The Board may, in case of such candidate use its discretion as to permitting him to sit for any future examination.

12. No candidate shall leave the examination hall before the expiry of one hour after the commencement of the Examination.

13. When candidate has completed the answer to the question or when the time allowed for answering the question has elapsed, or when a candidate has been disqualified under Rule II, he must hand over the answer books to the Secretary and at once leave the Examination Hall.