The lovely tale of Liquor
during Lockdown and before
At every stage, addiction is driven by one of the most powerful, mysterious, and
vital forces of human existence. What drives addiction is longing —
a longing not just of brain, belly, or loins but finally of the heart.
Cornelius Platinga
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The use of alcohol in India for drinking purposes dates back to somewhere between 3000 and 2000 BC. An alcoholic beverage called Sura which was distilled from the rice was popular at that time in India for common men to unwind at the end of a stressful day. . Yet the first mention of Alcohol appears in Rig Veda (1700BC). It mentions intoxicants like soma and prahamana. Although the soma plant might not exist today, it was famous for delivering a euphoric high. It was also recorded in the Samhita, the medical compendium of Sushruta that he who drinks soma will not age and will be impervious to fire, poison, or weapon attack. The sweet juice of Soma was also said to help establish a connection with the gods. Such was the popularity of alcohol. Initially used for medicinal purposes, with time it evolved and became the beverage that brought life to social gatherings, and eventually consuming alcohol has become a habit for many.
With such a rich history of not just humans but also of the gods,
what is a worldwide pandemic to stop anybody from drinking?
. . .
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According to a report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2018, an average Indian drinks approximately 5.7 liters of alcohol every year. In a population of casual and excessive drinkers, with the shutters of liquor stores down, it must have been extremely difficult for “certain” people to survive lockdown. In the first two phases of lockdown, the desperation had quadrupled prices of alcohol in the Grey Market of India. Also, According to Google Trends, online searches for “how to make alcohol at home” peaked in India during the fourth week of March, which was the same when the lockdown was announced. As a consequence, a few people died drinking home-brewed liquor. People committed suicide due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Owing to the worsening situation and to reboot the economy, some states decided to open licensed liquor stores in the third phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown in India. This decision was the worst best decision the state governments could take. The kilometer-long queues in front of liquor stores were evidence that a pandemic can turn your life upside down yet your relationship with alcohol cannot move an inch.
The love in the hearts of those who are addicted was explicit. We might have seen addiction, we might have witnessed desperation but what happened in the month of May was madness, not just in terms of the way people pounced but also in the way the government earned. According to a report by Hindustan Times, on the first day of the third phase of Lockdown, the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh recorded a sale of over Rs 100 Crore from liquor. On the second day of the reopening of Liquor stores, Karnataka reported sales of 197 crores in a single day which was the largest ever. Eventually, the prices of Liquor were hiked to 100% to discourage people from drinking.
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There was a special corona fee that was imposed in Delhi by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. A 70% corona fee was imposed in Delhi, yet the sales did not drop. The entire situation was a disaster for the law enforcement officers, social distancing was easily abandoned and a basic code of conduct was happily violated. Despite the chaos created, the states continued to collect revenues. Home delivery of alcohol was allowed in Maharashtra and e-tokens were sold in Delhi.
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Demand for liquor is inelastic which means that
the sale of alcohol is not much responsive to change in prices.
In general, since alcohol policy is a state subject in India, revenue from Liquor is a cash cow for state governments. In 2018 and 2019, four states collectively collected about 20,000 crores in taxes from the sale of liquor. As much as the state earns from the sale of Liquor it is undoubtedly, a threat to the Economy. Consumption of alcohol has dire health consequences. When a person consumes an alcoholic beverage, there is a rise in BAC because of which there is a gradual and progressive loss of driving ability because of an increase in reaction time, overconfidence, degraded muscle coordination, impaired concentration, and decreased auditory and visual acuity. This is known as drunken driving. (V. M. Anantha Eashwar, 2020) Drunken driving is the third biggest cause of road accidents and over speeding in India. Road accidents are not it; alcoholism causes sleep problems, heart, and liver issues. Also, it is not about an individual’s life, it ruins the lives of all people concerned.
Addiction also causes economic loss. In 2000, Vivek Benegal and his team assessed 113 patients admitted to a special de-addiction service for alcohol dependence. They found that
the average individual earned a mean of ₹1,661 but
spent ₹1,938 per month on alcohol, incurring high debt.
They also found that 95% did not work for about 14 days in a month. They concluded that it led to a loss of ₹13,823 per person per year in terms of foregone productivity. A more recent study, Health Impact and Economic Burden of Alcohol Consumption in India, led by Gaurav Jyani, concluded that alcohol-attributable deaths would lead to a loss of 258 million life-years between 2011 and 2050. The study placed the economic burden on the health system at $48.11 billion, and the societal burden (including health costs, productivity loss, and so on) at $1,867 billion. “This amounts to an average loss of 1.45% of the gross domestic product (GDP) per year to the Indian economy,” the study said. (Mint, 2020)
Setho ka Gaon

With each passing day, the ‘curtain of separation’ weighs down on the women of Afghanistan, paving the way for tyranny to thrive.
Arth

WHAT IF NORTH CAMPUS COLLEGES SHUT DOWN!?!
This report explores the potential consequences of a hypothetical situation where all the North Campus colleges shut down. We will keep ourselves limited to analyze the impact on the economy of Kamla Nagar & Vishwavidyalaya metro station.
Additionally, the report will discuss the effects on the Kamla Nagar market, the PG (paying guest) businesses, local employment, and the overall revenue generation of the North Campus region.
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1. Impact on the Economy of Nearby Areas:
a) Kamla Nagar: Kamla Nagar is known for its vibrant market, which thrives on the patronage of college students. With the absence of college students, the footfall in the market would significantly decrease. This decline in customers would have a detrimental effect on the businesses operating in the area. The shops, restaurants, and street vendors would experience a considerable decrease in sales, leading to financial instability and potential closures.
b) Malka Ganj, Roop Nagar, and Shakti Nagar: These areas are largely residential and depend on the economic activities generated by college students. The shutdown of the North Campus colleges would result in reduced demand for goods and services, negatively impacting the local economy. The businesses in these areas, such as grocery stores, stationery shops, and eateries, would witness a decline in sales.
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2. Impact on Kamla Nagar Market:
The absence of college students would have a severe impact on the Kamla Nagar market, which is one of the biggest shopping hubs in Delhi. With a decrease in footfall, the businesses in the market would experience a significant decline in sales.
The well-known brands like Van Heusen, H&M, Naturals, MacDonald, Wendy's, Burger King, and Zudio may struggle to sustain their operations due to reduced customer traffic. Some may even consider closing their outlets or downsizing their operations.
If we assume the number of students in North Campus to be around 30,000 excluding the teaching and non- teaching staff, assuming that just 10% buys from the clothing outlets in Kamla Nagar owing to prices, we come down to a client base of 300 students. The number would differ from the kind of brand as well. For outlets like Burger King and Wendy’s, we can assume 70% of the students eating there at least once in 2 weeks. That gives us a customer base of 21,000 people, which would be lost if the colleges are shut down.
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3. Impact on PG Businesses:
The shutdown of North Campus colleges would have a direct impact on the PG businesses in the Kamla Nagar area. These businesses primarily cater to college students, providing them with accommodation and other facilities.
PG businesses would experience a sharp drop in their earnings due to reduced occupancy rates.
Many PGs might have to shut down or explore alternative strategies to attract non-student tenants.
The conversion of PGs into residential areas, similar to the historical trend, could become a viable option for property owners to adapt to the changing market conditions.
With no students to fill these PGs, the occupancy rates would drastically decline, leading to a significant drop in earnings for PG owners.
There are approximately 100 PGs around Kamla Nagar. These PGs, have a differing rent and room availability in the range of Rs. 10,000 to 25,000. These PGs are mostly used by outstation students. Around 60% of all North Campus students are from outside Delhi. Only 10% of them avail hostel facility and rest use PGs or flats. That gives us a student base of around 15,000 students who use PGs. For ease of calculation we are taking an average monthly rent of 15,000. This gives us a revenue of Rs. 22,50,00,000 monthly. This will be a huge economic loss.
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4. Impact on Vishwavidyalaya:
How the absence of college students would have a huge impact on the Vishwavidyalaya metro station, because at least 60% of the individuals that come to the metro station are students only.
The major impact would be on the ancillary services around the metro station such as Momo Stalls, Fast Food Corners, Tea Stall, Food Bus, Jewellery, Trinket Stalls, Bookstalls etc.
For instance, if we just consider the Momo Stalls, then they can make up to a revenue of Rs. 2000-5000 per day in the peak hours, near North Campus. This gives a monthly revenue of 1,20,000 on an average. This would directly drop once the colleges shut down.
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Conclusion:
The hypothetical shutdown of all North Campus colleges in Delhi would have far-reaching consequences on the economy of the North campus region. The demographic composition would undergo a drastic change, leading to a decrease in revenue generated by the area. The overall impact would be substantial, affecting the livelihood.
Overall, the economy of the region would undergo a substantial transformation, requiring stakeholders to adapt to the changing circumstances.
Dipendra Balot
Senior Editor, Editorial Board
Hindu College, Delhi University
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