SC declines plea seeking disclosure of ethanol percentage on petrol pumps, bills

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2026: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking mandatory disclosure of the percentage of ethanol blended in petrol at fuel stations and on fuel bills and receipts.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale declined to entertain the plea under Article 32 and granted liberty to the petitioner, Narendra Kumar Goswami, to approach the concerned High Court with his grievances.

What Did The Plea Seek?

The petition sought directions to authorities to ensure prominent and uniform disclosure of the exact percentage of ethanol on every petrol dispensing nozzle across fuel stations.

It also sought a requirement for every fuel invoice, receipt or bill to clearly mention the percentage of ethanol contained in the petrol sold.

The petitioner had argued that consumers should be informed about the composition of the fuel being dispensed at petrol pumps.

“See the receipt, there is no mention of ethanol. I have the right to know," Goswami submitted.

The petition also sought an official and publicly accessible database providing vehicle-wise compatibility information. The proposed database was to be searchable by manufacturer, model, engine type and year of manufacture, and indicate which ethanol blends were suitable for different vehicles.

Another prayer called for a transparent transition framework for older vehicles or those not compatible with higher ethanol blends. It also sought consideration of making lower-ethanol petrol available wherever technically, economically and logistically feasible.

The petitioner further proposed setting up an independent expert committee with representatives from the Petroleum Ministry, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Bureau of Indian Standards, ARAI/ICAT, consumer organisations, automobile engineers, fuel technologists, environmental and public-health experts, and water-resource specialists.

The committee was proposed to examine various aspects of the ethanol-blending programme, including the real-world compatibility of E20 fuel with India’s existing vehicle fleet, its impact on fuel efficiency, engine life and maintenance costs, warranty and insurance implications, the overall environmental impact, including tail-pipe emissions and water consumption associated with ethanol production, as well as food-security and feed-diversion concerns linked to ethanol production.

The petition also sought directions requiring the government to place before the Supreme Court the policy files, technical studies, compatibility reports, safety standards, consumer advisories and records of public consultation that formed the basis of the compulsory rollout of E20 petrol.

It further called for a national Consumer Disclosure Protocol for ethanol-blended petrol, to be prepared in consultation with the Central Consumer Protection Authority and the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Ethanol-Blending Programme An ‘Experiment’

The petitioner also referred to an earlier hearing in which he said the Attorney General had characterised the ethanol-blending programme as an “experiment". According to Goswami, the Centre later issued a clarification denying that the Attorney General had made such a statement. He subsequently sought an assurance from the Centre on the matter.

The Attorney General for India opposed the manner in which the petition was being pursued, saying, “He wants the Govt of India to be answerable to him!"

Goswami responded that the plea was not aimed at securing any personal benefit but concerned the rights of citizens. “Not to me, to the citizens of India. We have the right to know what we are purchasing," he argued.

The Attorney General also termed the plea a “proxy petition" and pointed out that the Supreme Court had dismissed a similar petition last year.

The Court eventually declined to entertain the plea but allowed the petitioner to approach the High Court for appropriate relief.