Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pointing out a cartoon with then deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi at an exhibition on the occasion of ‘No Liquor Day’, in Patna, November 26, 2012.
| Photo Credit: Ranjeet Kumar
Recently, a report titled ‘Macro Perspective of Bihar’s Development Achievements, Unfinished Agenda, and the Way Forward’ presented at the India Policy Forum 2026 received widespread media attention. While it is a good and timely report, one of the recommendations it makes is flawed from public health and social development perspectives: that the State of Bihar should lift its alcohol ban.
To this end, the reports’ authors have argued that the ban has not really led to a decrease in violence against women and that the ban cost the State valuable revenue.
Published – August 19, 2026 09:00 am IST