New Delhi: Amid the ongoing debate wideness the country regarding ethanol blending (E20) in petrol, a 22-year-old parliamentary speech of former Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar is rhadamanthine increasingly viral on social media. In the video, Iyer is seen jokingly advocating the ethanol mixture and saying, "Drink less alcohol, we have to mix ethanol in petrol." This statement is from the time when he was the minister of petroleum and natural gas in the Manmohan Singh government and preparations were going on to take forward the ethanol blending program in the country.
What does Mani Shankar Iyer say in the video?
The viral video is part of his speech in Parliament. Iyer says that the government is seriously working on the plan to mix ethanol in petrol and talks have been held with sugar mills for this. He said that if the production of ethanol increases then its share in petrol can moreover be increased. During this, he said in a light tone that first the consumption of swig should be reduced considering a large part of ethanol is used in it. This scuttlebutt is now stuff shared widely on social media again.
“ , ”
~ , , 2005 pic.twitter.com/lQEaQd9uxe
— ANUPAM MISHRA (@scribe9104) July 7, 2026Now why has the debate on ethanol started again?
In recent times, a new debate has started wideness the country regarding E20 fuel. Some vehicle owners have personal that petrol with upper ethanol tousle can stupefy the engine and fuel system of older vehicles. On the other hand, the government says that ethanol blending will reduce dependence on transplanted oil imports, farmers will goody and stat emissions will moreover reduce. Amidst this debate, Iyer's old statement has then come into limelight.
Why has the matter reached the Supreme Court?
A specimen related to ethanol policy is currently under consideration in the Supreme Court. During the hearing, the inside government told the magistrate that the E20 program is still in the transition and testing phase and its impact is stuff comprehensively assessed. While issuing notice on the related petition, the magistrate has given instructions to maintain the status quo for the time being.
What is the remoter plan of the government?
Meanwhile, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that volitional fuel is the need of the future and said that the government is now moreover promoting hydrogen based transport system. According to him, in the coming time, trucks and buses running on hydrogen will moreover be seen on Indian roads. The government's accent is on reducing dependence on petrol and diesel as well as developing wipe energy based transportation system.
