Discuss the rationale behind India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme and examine the concerns raised regarding consumer disclosure of fuel composition.

The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, anchored in the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, seeks to blend 20% ethanol in petrol (E20) — a target advanced from 2030 to Ethanol Supply Year 2025-26 by the 2022 Cabinet amendment [2]. While its energy-security logic is sound, its rollout has exposed a gap in consumer-facing disclosure.

Rationale behind the programme

• Energy security: reduces dependence on crude oil imports, the single largest item in India's import basket; blending over ESY 2014-15 to July 2025 yielded forex savings of over ₹1.44 lakh crore [3].
• Farm incomes: widened feedstock — C-heavy molasses, sugarcane juice, damaged foodgrains and surplus rice — converts agricultural surplus into fuel and helps clear sugarcane arrears [2][3].
• Environmental gains: NITI Aayog's life-cycle study places GHG emissions from sugarcane- and maize-based ethanol 65% and 50% lower than petrol [3].
• Assured demand and investment: the NITI Aayog Roadmap for Ethanol Blending (2020-25) projected demand rising to over 1,000 crore litres, guiding distillery capacity expansion [1].
• Delivery: implemented through Oil Marketing Companies under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas; blending rose from 12.06% (ESY 2022-23) to about 19% (ESY 2024-25) [3].

Concerns on consumer disclosure

• Right to know: ethanol percentage is not mandatorily displayed on dispensing nozzles or invoices, creating information asymmetry in a state-mandated fuel regime.
• Legacy vehicles: owners of pre-E20 vehicles cite mileage and material-compatibility worries; the government terms drastic efficiency-loss claims misplaced, noting improved octane rating [3].
• Choice and pricing: limited availability of lower-ethanol alternatives raises fairness questions, especially as ethanol's weighted average price now exceeds refined petrol [3].
• Forum, not merits: the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea for mandatory pump-level disclosure, leaving the petitioner to the competent authority — judicial restraint, not rejection of the claim itself [4].

The programme's macroeconomic and agrarian dividends are demonstrable; its legitimacy now rests on transparency. Statutory labelling norms under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, wider retail signage and phased availability of legacy-compatible grades would align E20 with both SDG-7 and the consumer's right to informed choice.