15. Power to make rules.-

(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-

(a) regulation of the conduct of any person in the territorial waters, the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone or any other maritime zone of India;

(b) regulation of the exploration and exploitation, conservation and management of the resources of the continental shelf;

(c) regulation of the exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of the resources of the exclusive economic zone;

(d) regulation of the construction, maintenance and operation of artificial islands, off-shore terminals, installations and other structures and devices referred to in sections 6 and 7;

(e) preservation and protection of the marine environment and prevention and control of marine pollution for the purposes of this Act;

(f) authorisation, regulation and control of the conduct of scientific research for the purposes of this Act;

(g) fees in relation to licences and letters of authority referred to in sub-section (4) of section 6 and sub-section (5) of section 7 or for any other purpose; or

(h) any matter incidental to any of the matters specified in clauses (a) to (g).

(3) In making any rule under this section, the Central Government may provide that a contravention thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to any amount, or with both.

(4) Every rule made under this Act and every notification issued under sub-section (5) of section 6 or sub-section (6) of section 7 shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made or issued, before each House of Parliament while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or the notification or both Houses agree that the rule or notification should not be issued, the rule or notification shall, thereafter, have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or notification.