Delhi May Lower Legal Drinking Age For Beer: Check State-Wise Rules

The Delhi government is considering lowering the legal age of drinking beer from 25 to 21, sources said. The proposal was discussed during a high-level review of Delhi's liquor policy this week, sources added.

Here's a look at the other states:

States With Drinking Age Of 18 Years

• Himachal Pradesh
• Karnataka
• Mizoram
• Rajasthan
• Sikkim
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Puducherry

States With Drinking Age Of 21 Years

• Andhra Pradesh
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam
• Chhattisgarh
• Goa
• Jharkhand
• Madhya Pradesh
• Odisha
• Tamil Nadu
• Telangana
• Uttarakhand
• Uttar Pradesh
• Tripura
• West Bengal
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Ladakh

In these states, penalties for violating the legal age may include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the local legislation.

States such as Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu & Kashmir explicitly prescribe fines or jail terms for underage drinking.

States With Drinking Age Of 23 Years

Kerala is the only state under this category. Here, the legal age for alcohol consumption is 23 years under the Abkari Act, 1 of 1077.

States With Drinking Age Of 25 Years

• Delhi
• Maharashtra
• Punjab
• Chandigarh
• Haryana 

States With Total Alcohol Ban

• Bihar
• Gujarat
• Manipur
• Nagaland
• Lakshadweep

Bihar's Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, imposes imprisonment ranging from ten years to life and fines between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for violations.

Gujarat, Manipur, and Nagaland also enforce fines or jail terms.