Mandatory Ethanol Labelling at Fuel Pumps: SC to Hear Plea on August 31

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition on August 31 seeking mandatory and uniform disclosure of the exact percentage of ethanol blended into petrol at all fuel stations across the country. According to the apex court’s cause list, the matter will come up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices M. M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by petitioner Narendra Kumar Goswami, highlights the need for consumer transparency as the government continues its nationwide rollout of ethanol-blended fuel. The petition prays for directives to the Centre and relevant authorities to ensure clear, standardized labelling on every dispensing nozzle at petrol pumps, alongside explicit entries on printed fuel invoices detailing the precise ethanol percentage present in the purchased petrol.

In addition, the plea requests the court to direct authorities to publish an official, searchable vehicle-compatibility database. This database would allow vehicle owners to check the suitability of various ethanol blends (such as E10 or E20) based on their vehicle’s manufacturer, model, engine type, and year of production.

Beyond point-of-sale transparency, the petition urges the Supreme Court to form an independent expert committee. Comprising representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and independent automotive engineers, the proposed panel would evaluate the real-world impact of blended fuels.