The owner, agent, mining engineer, geologist or manager of every mine or the holder of a exploration licence shall preserve intact all cores and specimens of different types of rocks and minerals obtained during drilling or sinking operations and arrange for them to be laid out in a serial order with identification marks, showing the progressive depth at which they are obtained and such specimens shall not be broken except for the purpose of analysis and testing in which case, representative samples of the specimens so broken will be preserved for a period of not less than six months from the date of completion of drilling or sinking operations.
132 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)] The administering authority, by an order in writing, may require the cores or specimens of rocks and minerals obtained from specific boreholes or drilling to be preserved for any specific period or relax the provisions of this rule to such an extent as the administering authority may deem fit.