NEW DELHI, India (AFP) - A court has lifted another lifestyle taboo in India by allowing women to serve liquor in bars. The Delhi High Court on Thursday ruled that section 30 of the Punjab Excise Act 1914, which prevented women from working in bars, was outdated.

"It is undeniable that women have excelled in the hospitality industry not only in this country but worldwide and the feminine touch indeed lends grace and elegance to the industry," said the judgement given by divisional bench justices Mukul Mugdal and H R Malhotra.

Counsel Arun Jaitley, representing the Hotel Association of India, pleaded that the ban was unconstitutional as it violated the basic right of women to choose their profession.
The petitioners noted that the government was encouraging the liquor trade by extending opening times of state liquor shops.
"Section 30 (Punjab Excise Act) is an antithesis to the contemporary era," the justices found.

Counsel for the Indian government Avnish Ahlawi took the traditional line of protecting women.
"The trade in liquor is not an ordinary trade and has the potential to cause mischief and even social problems including various sexual offences," he told the court.

"The trade in liquor is not a fundamental right and provisions can be made and regulations can be imposed in the interest of public order and morality."
It was not clear if the government would appeal.

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