This case is significant because it dealt with important constitutional issues related to property rights, the amending power of Parliament, and the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.
In the Minerva Mills case, the Supreme Court of India struck down certain provisions of the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976, which had been enacted during the period of the Emergency in India. The amendments had placed restrictions on the power of judicial review and granted Parliament the authority to amend any part of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court, in its judgment, held that Parliament’s amending power under Article 368 of the Indian Constitution is not unlimited, and it cannot damage or destroy the basic structure of the Constitution. The Court reaffirmed the doctrine of the basic structure, which had been introduced in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), stating that certain fundamental features of the Constitution are beyond the reach of amendment.
The Minerva Mills case is notable for its contribution to the development of the doctrine of basic structure, which acts as a check on the amending power of the Indian Parliament and ensures the preservation of the core principles and values of the Constitution.