Kerala HC strikes down Abkari rule provision prohibiting employment of women in toddy shops
India's Kerala High Court invalidated a clause of the state's Abkari rule that barred women from employment in toddy shops. The bench ruled the restriction breached constitutional guarantees of equality, the freedom to pursue any occupation, protection against discrimination and the right to life. The decision removes the gender‑based ban on female workers in the liquor‑selling establishments.