Bihar should withdraw alcohol ban as it failed to curb crimes against women: Report
A report by the National Council of Applied Economic Research suggests that Bihar should lift its alcohol prohibition, citing a failure to reduce crimes against women and a rise in illicit liquor trade. The study argues that restoring excise duties would boost state revenue and reduce enforcement costs.
Why it matters
The findings challenge the efficacy of long-standing social policies in India and highlight the economic trade-offs of prohibition.
NEW DELHI: Bihar should withdraw its prohibition on alcohol as the ban has failed to reduce crimes against women and has been accompanied by a rise in illicit liquor and alternative intoxicants, according to a research paper by economic think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).The paper, titled ‘Macro Perspective of Bihar's Development Achievements, Unfinished Agenda, and the Way Forward’, also said restoring liquor excise duty to pre-ban levels could increase the state's own revenues by 14-15 per cent while reducing expenditure on enforcement and anti-smuggling operations.Prepared by a team of economists led by Ratna Sahay and presented at the India Policy Forum, the paper examined the economic and social impact of Bihar's prohibition, introduced in April 2016.Ban failed to reduce crimes against women, says paperThe paper said the primary reasons for introducing prohibition were the belief that alcohol consumption contributed significantly to domestic violence and that households…
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