Why it is in the news
On 24 September 2026, legislators across parties put 13 questions in the Odisha Legislative Assembly on revenue loss from the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, especially new Section 9D, which bars States from levying their own taxes, cesses or levies on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands except on conditions set by the Union. Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena replied that no quantified assessment had been made and that the impact would be measured only after the Centre frames the rules.
The exam angle
Issue: Whether Parliament can make State taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing land subject to Union conditions, and cancel arrears, after a nine-judge bench upheld the States’ power.