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Supreme Court PIL challenges Centre's 20% ethanol-blended petrol policy
News9Live | August 23, 2025 12:39 AM CST

New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Central Government’s ethanol blending programme, under which the sale of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E20) has been made mandatory. The petition filed in the apex court argues that providing only ethanol-blended petrol without giving consumers the option of ethanol-free petrol (E0) violates the fundamental rights of millions of vehicle owners whose vehicles are not compatible with higher ethanol blends.

Advocate Akshay Malhotra filed this petition in the Supreme Court. He argued that implementing such a programme (E20 petrol) without running public awareness campaigns violates consumers’ right to informed choice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The petition states that millions of Indian drivers/vehicle owners are unaware that the petrol they use is not 100% petrol, but a blend of ethanol and petrol. The failure to disclose such an important fact corrupts the core component of informed consumer choice.

The petition further states that the use of E20 petrol adversely affects fuel efficiency and causes corrosion of various vehicle parts, leading to additional costs and safety concerns for consumers. Malhotra argued that without giving automobile manufacturers adequate time to design and release vehicles compatible with E20, the Centre’s move to implement this policy is not only unfair but also arbitrary.

According to the petition, vehicles manufactured in India before April 2023 are not compatible with ethanol-blended petrol. Even vehicles that are two years old, though compliant with BS VI standards, are not suitable for 20% ethanol blends—at best, they may be compatible with E10.

The plea requests the Supreme Court to direct petroleum companies to continue providing ethanol-free petrol (E0) in the market. It also seeks mandatory labelling at fuel pumps to clearly indicate that the petrol being sold is E20. The petition adds that while petrol is being blended with 20% ethanol, consumers have not benefited from it as prices have not been reduced. It also points out that in the United States and the European Union, ethanol-free petrol is still available, and blended fuels come with clear labelling at petrol stations to allow consumers to make an informed choice.


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