Discuss the salient features of National Policy on Bio-fuels, 2018 and examine the flaws associated with it. (200 words)
Refer – The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 7 years
Salient features
· It categorises bio-fuels as Basic, Advanced and 3rd Generation (3G) bio-fuels, to enable extension of appropriate financial incentives under each category.
· It explores a wider variety of raw materials to be used as inputs to produce ethanol (which is to be blended with petrol).
· Apart from sugarcane – government plans to include corn, damaged food grains, potato and even municipal solid waste as ethanol sources.
· Considering the low price during surplus production, it allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol.
· With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries of Rs.5000 crore in 6 years.
· Roles and responsibilities of all the concerned Ministries with respect to biofuels have been captured in the Policy document to synergise efforts.
Flaws
· Octane Count – WHO has already declared 14 Indian cities as among the 20 most polluted in the world.
· In this context, the policy is totally silent on “fuel octane count”, which has direct consequences on vehicular emissions and air quality.
· Untested Technology – 2G is a new untested technology and there isn’t a single plant worldwide that produces 2G ethanol on a commercial scale.
· Considering the amount of funds needed and the risk of failure, it is surprising that the government is prioritising 2G ethanol over other aspects.
· Food security – The consideration for using surplus food grains is a tricky one as food supply chains might get affected if there aren’t proper checks.
· Additionally, there is total lack of transparency in signing of MoUs with oil marketing companies for the 2G ethanol blending project.
Shankaranand 7 years
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IAS Parliament 7 years
Good attempt. Keep writing.
SATHESH KUMAR R 7 years
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IAS Parliament 7 years
Avoid minor errors like quoting as WTO, when it is actually WHO study on air pollution. Otherwise a decent attempt. Keep writing.
Hermoine 7 years
Please review !!
Thanks :)
IAS Parliament 7 years
A well structured Answer. Avoid minor errors like quoting as WEF, when it is actually WHO study. Keep writing.
Hermoine 7 years