Underground coal mining at deeper cover encounters difficult underground environment due to increase in gas content and rise in temperature transition of a mining practice from shallow to high depth cover encounters a big change in the rock mass characteristics and the stress condition becomes more complex. At higher depth of cover, the excavation starts encountering stress control regime rather than structural control behavior of the rock mass. Mechanisation and automation of underground mining activities is a solution to improve the performance of deeper mines but the approach should match with the rock mass and stress conditions of the site. Since inception, CIMFR (formerly, CMRI) is continuously working to understand behavior of the rock mass through laboratory testing, field investigations and study on simulated models. Obtained experiences during these investigations are observed to be of strategic importance during application of a modern technology to improve practical mining conditions. This paper reviews rock mechanics aspects of different mechanized pillar extraction approaches during mining of a deep seated coal seam and, also attempts to present an appraisal of some of the recent technical developments to overcome the challenges of a deep underground coal mining
