Mining refers to the process of extracting minerals and metals from the crust of the earth. Some minerals can be mined more easily as they are found on the earth’s surface, while others lie far beneath the surface and can be obtained only by digging deep underground. Gold, Silver, Diamond, Iron, Coal, Aluminum (Bauxite) and Uranium are some of the vast array of metals and minerals that are obtained by the latter process. In fact, mining is the source of all the substances that cannot be obtained by industrial processes or through agriculture. Mining, in its wider sense connotes extracting and processing of a non - renewable mineral resource. Minerals can be classified into metallic (iron, copper, gold, aluminum, uranium etc.) and non-metallic (sand, salt, phosphates etc.) These minerals are non-renewable or depleting assets and once mined-out, they are exhausted and are lost forever without any chance of replenishment. Simply, this exhaustible resource cannot be harvested, unlike agricultural products.