---
title: "Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) — Definition"
description: "Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) struck down 42nd Amendment clauses 4 & 55, ruling limited amending power and judicial review part of the basic structure."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/minerva-mills-case-1980"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Minerva Mills v.
- Union of India (1980) is a Supreme Court of India judgment that struck down parts of the 42nd Amendment for violating the Constitution's basic structure, affirming limited amending power and judicial review.
- What exactly did Minerva Mills strike down?
- How does Minerva Mills relate to Kesavananda Bharati?
- Why were Article 368(4) and (5) never deleted from the Constitution?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 31 July 1980

   Union of India\*, decided on , is a landmark constitutional judgment of the Supreme Court of India that consolidated the basic structure doctrine first articu…

2. 24 April 1973

   State of Tamil Nadu\* (2007), which extended basic-structure review to laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after .

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Example

In 1980, the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Y. V. Chandrachud, struck down Sections 4 and 55 of the 42nd Amendment in Minerva Mills, ruling that limited amending power and judicial review form part of the Constitution's basic structure.

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