What is the legal drinking age in India?

S Venkateshwari

What is the legal drinking age in India?


According to the laws of different states in India, the legal age for drinking alcohol is between 18 to 25 years. Liquor is completely banned in some states like Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland and Manipur. In Haryana, goa and some other states, the legal age for drinking alcohol is 25 years, while in other states people 21 years of age and above are allowed to drink alcohol. This means that if you are 18 years old, you cannot legally buy alcohol in any state.

The Motor vehicles Act of 1988 was amended in 2019. Provisions were included in this amendment to deal with the problem of drunk driving. Section 185 of this Act specifically deals with driving under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances. This section provides clear guidelines and punishment for this crime.

Drunk driving laws 

According to Section 185 of the Motor vehicles Act 1988 in India, if a person is found driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he can be punished. The amount of alcohol per 100 ml of blood should not be more than 30 mg. These strict laws have been made to maintain safety on the roads and to prevent accidents caused by drunk driving.

What if the person driving under the influence of alcohol is a minor?

According to Section 199A of the Motor vehicles Act, if a minor drives a vehicle after drinking alcohol and commits any crime, then the guardian of that minor or the owner of the vehicle will be considered guilty and will be punished. His guardian can be jailed for up to 3 years, andfined Rs 25,000 andthe registration of the vehicle in which the crime was committed can be cancelled for 12 months.At the same time, the minor will not get a driving license or learner's license until he turns 25 years of age. The minor will have to pay a fine, but the punishment of going to jail can be changed under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000.

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