'Didn't tell SC ethanol program was experiment': Centre refutes reports
What's the story
The Attorney General of India has denied media reports that claimed he told the Supreme Court on Monday that the government's 20% Ethanol Blended Petrol (E20) Program was still an "ongoing experiment" and that "the impact of the policy would become clearer by next year." "These reports are completely false and don't reflect anything even close to the actual submissions made before the Hon'ble Court," the AG's office said in a clarification issued through the Ministry of Law.
Policy clarification
Clarification on litigation
The reports had led to social media debates about whether the government was pushing E20 petrol without knowing its impact. Refuting the reports, the AG said, "It is clarified in explicit terms that any suggestion that the Government described the E20 program before the Hon'ble Supreme Court as an 'experiment' is incorrect and does not represent the submissions made on behalf of the Union of India."
Litigation background
Supreme Court passed order of status quo
AG R Venkataramani had appeared in the SC on Monday on behalf of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), challenging a Karnataka High Court decision to consider an ethanol distillery's plea to raise its yearly ethanol allotment. The AG had contended that the high court's decision would destabilize the E20 program. Given this, the Supreme Court issued an order of status quo on ethanol supply allocation.
High Court
Ethanol supply contracts were concluded in October 2025
Oil marketing companies had argued that if they considered the plea of the petitioner, it would require the government policy in itself to be changed. The Karnataka High Court sided with the distillery and directed BPCL, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited to consider enhancement of ethanol allocation for 2025-26. However, Venkataramani pointed out that the ethanol supply contracts were concluded in October 2025.
AG
'If one supplier's quota were enhanced..'
He further stated that after the ethanol allocation procedure was completed on October 17, 2025, allocations were communicated to 378 suppliers for a total supply of 1,050 crore liters of ethanol, with 680 crore liters already given by them by June 18. If one supplier's quota was increased, other suppliers in similar positions would seek parity, triggering a storm of lawsuits, he added.