MMDR Act, 1957
Legislative Framework for Mineral Regulation
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 is the principal central legislation governing exploration, prospecting, mining, and regulation of minerals in India. It was enacted under Entry 54 of the Union List (regulation of mines and mineral development declared by Parliament to be expedient in the public interest), which allows the Centre to override state legislative competence over mines (a State List subject under Entry 23, but subject to Union control under Entry 54).
- Enacted 1957, in force from June 1, 1958; amended multiple times — notably in 1999 (introduced reconnaissance operations), 2015 (introduced auction-based allocation of mining leases), and 2023 (opened exploration of critical/deep-seated minerals to private players and removed six minerals, including lithium and titanium, from the atomic minerals list)
- Mining is a State List subject (Entry 23) but Parliament can legislate under Entry 54 (Union List) when it declares such regulation "expedient in the public interest" — the basis for central override of state mineral levies
- The 2026 amendment introduces a new provision restricting states from levying taxes/cesses on mineral rights or mineral-bearing land except as conditioned by the Centre, addressing the fallout of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on state taxation powers over minerals
● Tracked since March 10, 2026 · last seen August 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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