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Days after Karnataka’s Home Minister Priyank Kharge directed police to crack down on underage drinking, pub and bar owners across the State have welcomed the intent of stricter age-verification norms, but questioned how the new directive will be implemented, particularly in identifying forged documents and handling customer data.
On June 9, Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem issued a detailed circular mandating stricter enforcement of age-verification norms at pubs, breweries, bars, clubs, lounges, restaurants, and all establishments serving liquor. The circular requires outlets to verify the age of patrons before granting entry, or serving alcohol, and mandates a strict ‘No ID, No Entry’ policy across Karnataka.
However, several industry stakeholders told The Hindu that while the rule itself is not new, there is little clarity on the operational aspects of enforcement.
“Nothing new has been introduced. The legal drinking age has been 21 years for as long as I can remember. What is confusing is the requirement regarding retention of ID copies. The circular mentions that IDs must be retained for inspection, but it is not clear whether establishments are expected to take photocopies or photographs. There are also concerns about whether customers would be comfortable with that,” Chethan Hegde, founder of 1522 Pub at Koramangala told The Hindu.
Identifying fake IDs
A manager at a pub in Bengaluru’s central business district said that the larger challenge lies in identifying fake IDs, particularly digital versions displayed on mobile phones. “Almost 30% of the Aadhaar cards we come across are edited or manipulated. Driving licences are comparatively harder to tamper with. Physical PAN cards are also easy to verify, but digital copies of documents can be problematic,” he said.
“As long as a document is shown on a mobile phone, there is a possibility that it has been altered. We have seen cases where minors edited their date of birth, and attempted to gain entry. In several instances, staff detected the discrepancies, and turned them away,” he added.
Another manager of a pub on Church Street said that establishments face practical limitations even when checking physical IDs. “If it is a genuine physical document, verification becomes easier. But there is no foolproof way to identify every fake ID. Asking customers for copies of their identification also raises concerns about privacy, potential misuse of personal data, and the logistics of maintaining records when hundreds of patrons visit during weekends.”
DigiLocker-based verification
Several bar managers and a cybersecurity expert pointed to DigiLocker-based verification as the most reliable solution currently available.
G. Vimal Kumar, cyber forensics and private cybercrime investigation expert at Cyber Privilege, said visual inspection of digital documents is insufficient. “When a customer merely shows a scanned copy or screenshot of an ID on a phone, entry staff cannot authenticate it visually. This creates an opportunity for minors to use manipulated digital documents to bypass age restrictions,” he said.
Mr. Kumar said that DigiLocker verification becomes effective only when establishments scan the QR code generated within the official application. “The customer must open the DigiLocker application on their device, and present the QR code for verification. Simply looking at a digital card is not enough. QR code authentication closes a major loophole,” he explained.
Some establishments have already adopted this approach. A pub in Indiranagar has installed scanning devices at its entrance, and does not accept soft copies of Aadhaar cards. A few establishments have shifted entirely to DigiLocker-based verification after encountering repeated instances of forged digital IDs.
Industry representatives, however, said no formal training or operational guidelines had been issued to help staff implement the new measures.
Mr. Hegde said he expected further briefings from the police department in the coming days. “When major events are held, like IPL matches, police officers often meet owners and managers. I expect similar guidance to follow. With the directive receiving widespread publicity, people will likely start carrying their IDs more regularly,” he said.
Published – June 11, 2026 04:20 pm IST
