State’s stand on maturity age contradictory: Aditya Thackeray

The state government’s move to raise the age for consuming alcohol has found a new critic in Yuva Sena president, Aditya Thackeray.

The state government’s move to raise the age for consuming alcohol has found a new critic in Yuva Sena president, Aditya Thackeray.

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Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the 21-year-old grandson of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray pointed out that the state follows different

maturity ages for different activities. “Why is the government contradictory? One can start a family at 21, and vote at 18, but the drinking age is 25. It is important to decide on a single maturity age.”

The government recently raised the age for drinking beer from 18 to 21 and for consuming hard liquor from 21 to 25. “Such a decision has to come by way of legislation, not through regulation. We will take up this issue in the assembly,” said Rahul Narvekar, spokesperson for the Yuva Sena.

Aditya also spoke about the problems students face at the time of online admissions. In the past three years, the government has announced different policies for admission to junior colleges. “The government needs to make its policy clear. There is too much ambiguity each time,” said Aditya. “The policy needs to be announced well in advance.”

He referred to the Best-Five policy, which was first introduced for SSC students and then extended to ICSE students after they moved court challenging the policy. The matter is awaiting a final hearing in the Supreme Court. “There is too much fighting between students of the different boards. What we need is a single system across the country,” said Thackeray.

Thackeray also spoke about the need for a syllabus update at the university level. “The syllabus needs to become career-oriented,” he said.