Ban on Liquor - IE - 26/12/22

Context:
A recent hooch tragedy in Bihar claimed many lives and left several others critically ill and blind.
Relevance:
GS2;GS4
About:
-In India, attempts at prohibition have been influenced by the thinking of Mahatma Gandhi, who viewed alcohol consumption more as a disease than a vice. Following India’s independence, Gandhians continued to push for a liquor ban. These efforts led to the inclusion of Article 47 in the Constitution.
-Several Indian states have enacted bans on alcoholic beverages. For example, Haryana made several attempts at prohibition but was forced to abandon the policy due to the inability to control illicit distillation and bootlegging, which also resulted in many deaths.
Prohibition has been in effect in Gujarat since 1st May 1960

->Reason that Not all States have Banned Alcohol:
-While the Constitution sets prohibition on alcohol as a goal, for most states, it is very difficult to declare a ban on alcohol.
-This is primarily because liquor revenues are not easy to ignore and have consistently contributed a large share of state governments’ revenue.

->Pros:
-Various studies have provided evidence linking alcohol with domestic abuse or domestic violence.
Case of Bihar: Crimes against women have clearly declined both in terms of rate (per 100,000 female population) and incidence (absolute numbers).

->Cons:
-Strengthen Organised Crime Groups
-Affects Poorer Sections of Society
-Burden on Judiciary

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