As part of a reevaluation of the suitability of the sediments of the Late Palaeozoic–Early Mesozoic Lower Gondwana Formations of Peninsula India for palaeomagnetic study, a detailed rock magnetic study has been carried out on rocks from two coalfields in the Damodar Valley. Results show wide variations in the relative contribution of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic minerals to the susceptibility. Whilst some horizons have a stable remanent magnetisation, pyrite seems to be the dominant iron mineral in the carbon-rich units, making them unsuitable for palaeomagnetism.