Overview
- India’s Supreme Court disposed of a public-interest case that sought a ban on liquor sold in tetra packs in Uttar Pradesh and told the petitioner to file a representation with the state excise authority.
- A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the excise policy itself was not before the court and noted it found no express permission for tetra-pack sales in that document.
- The judges recorded that an administrative decision dated February 4 appeared to allow small liquor packaging, but they said they would not comment further without the formal policy.
- The petitioner’s lawyer warned that small, sealed packs make alcohol easier for students to carry into schools, while the Chief Justice replied that packaging alone does not drive consumption and asked for concrete examples.
- Coverage also notes reported policy shifts in UP such as license allocation by e-lottery, sanctioned ‘bhang’ shops, and a move to tetra packs to curb adulteration, which the state authority may now clarify in response to the representation.