India's Supreme Court has declared that all the coal mining licenses issued between 1993 and 2010 are illegal, according to local and international media sources, concluding that the licenses were obtained through processes which are not transparent and without competitive bidding.
The Supreme Court decision is expected to affect a large number of operating mines as well as sites that are being considered for development. It is also uncertain what the impact will be on the power and steel industries if the Supreme Court decides to cancel the coal licenses.