Legal Disclaimer & Policy
Last reviewed: September 2026 • Governed by Indian Law
Dry Day India is an independent civic directory compiled for public informational convenience. We are NOT an official government website and have no direct affiliation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Election Commission of India, or any State/UT Department of Prohibition & Excise.
1. Constitutional Jurisdiction (State Subject)
Under Entry 8 of List II (State List) in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the "production, manufacture, possession, transport, purchase and sale of intoxicating liquors" falls exclusively under the legislative and executive purview of individual State Governments.
Because of this federal structure, alcohol laws, legal drinking ages, retail hours, and dry day schedules differ across each of India's 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
2. Local District Magistrate & Police Orders
While major national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) and statewide religious observances are gazetted annually, local dry days may be imposed at short notice by District Collectors (DM) or Police Commissioners under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) or local police acts to maintain public order during:
- Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, or Municipal Corporation by-elections
- Large religious immersion processions (e.g. Ganesh Visarjan, Durga Puja immersion)
- Section 144 CrPC declarations or administrative orders
3. Election Prohibitions (Section 135C)
Under Section 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, no liquor, intoxicating substance, or alcohol shall be sold, given, or distributed at any hotel, tavern, eating-house, shop, or other place within the polling area during a period of 48 hours ending with the conclusion of the poll for any election in that constituency.
4. Limitation of Liability
While our team continuously verifies orders against official gazettes, neither Dry Day India nor its contributors assume legal responsibility for any financial loss, travel inconvenience, or compliance infractions incurred from relying on this website. Always verify sensitive dates directly with local excise circle inspectors or authorized retail associations.