India relaxes rules for coastal and offshore mining

In a bid to deepen exploration and mining of atomic and rare earth minerals across the country, the Indian government is putting in place a slew of measures. For starters, the government has notified that it will relax mining norms in fragile coastal areas and that the exploration and mining of 11 specified minerals in these areas will not be considered ‘illegal'. These include minerals like uranium, lithium, thorium, niobium, phosphate ores, titanium-bearing minerals and zirconium.