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  • South Asia’s healthcare burden

    The article contrasts the public healthcare system in South Asian countries with that of their Southeast Asian peers and highlights the shortcomings.

    Subpar public healthcare system

    • Super spreader events, a fragile health infrastructure neglected for decades, citizens not following health protocols, and logistical mismanagement were the factors responsible for the destruction in the second Covid-19 wave.
    • What has exacerbated the situation is a subpar public healthcare system running on a meagre contribution of a little over 1% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
    • While the private medical sector is booming, the public healthcare sector has been operating at a pitiful 0.08 doctors per 1,000 people, World Health Organization’s (WHO) prescribed standard ois1:1000.
    • India has only half a bed available for every 1,000 people, which is a deficient figure even for normal days.
    • Bangladesh and Pakistan fare no better, with a bed to patient ratio of 0.8 and 0.6, respectively, and a doctor availability of less than one for every 1,000 people.
    • While ideally, out-of-pocket expenditure should not surpass 15% to 20% of the total health expenditure, for India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, this figure stands at an appalling 62.67%, 73.87% and 56.24%, respectively.

    Lack of investment in healthcare

    • Major public sector investments by the ‘big three’ of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are towards infrastructure and defence, with health taking a backseat.
    • While India has the world’s third-largest military expenditure, its health budget is the fourth-lowest.
    • Indian government in this year’s budget highlighted an increase of 137% in health and well-being expenditure, a closer look reveals a mismatch between facts and figures.
    • In Pakistan, even amidst the pandemic, the defence budget was increased while the spending on health remained around $151 million.
    • Not too far behind is Bangladesh, with decades of underfunding culminating in a crumbling public healthcare system.
    • Major public sector investments by the ‘big three’ of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, are towards infrastructure and defence, with health taking a backseat.
    • A quick look at pre-pandemic sectoral allocations explains the chronically low status of human development indicators in the three countries.

    Learning from Southeast Asia

    • Southeast Asia has prioritised investments in healthcare systems while broadening equitable access through universal health coverage schemes.
    • Vietnam’s preventive measures focused on investments in disease surveillance and emergency response mechanisms.
    • Even countries like Laos and Cambodia are making a constant effort towards improving the healthcare ecosystem.
    • All have done much better than their South Asian peers.

    Conclusion

    Learning from the devastation unleashed by the pandemic, South Asian countries must step up investment in their public healthcare sectors to make them sustainable, up to date and pro-poor; most importantly, the system should not turn its back on citizens.

  • Holding states to account

    The article highlights the excessive focus on the Union government and the lack of scrutiny of the functioning of the States in various areas.

    Need for focus on the States

    • In discussions on reforms or debates about public expenditure, there is an excessive focus on the Union government.
    • This focus reflects our mindset that there is a “Centre”, though constitutionally, there is no “Centre”. There is the Union government.
    • There is not as much interest in State Finance Commissions and their recommendations as it is in the Union Finance Commission’s recommendations.
    • Alternatively, there is limited scrutiny of state-level expenditure, or fiscal devolution and decentralisation of decision-making within states, or tracking functioning of state legislatures.
    • Most factor markets we seek to reform are on the concurrent list or the state list.

    The Annual Review of State Laws 2020: Key findings

    • PRS Legislative Research published this report and it focuses on the legislative work performed by states in the calendar year 2020.
    • The annual review has been done in the pandemic year as 2020 saw the first wave of the pandemic.
    • It covers 19 state legislatures, including the Union territory of Delhi, which together accounts for 90 per cent of the population of the country.

    1) Low Productivity

    • As a benchmark, the Parliament met for 33 days in 2020.
    • Pre-2020, these 19 states met for an average of 29 days a year.
    • In 2020, they met for an average of 18 days.
    • When they met in 2020, States passed an average of 22 Bills (excluding Appropriation Bills).
    • Karnataka passed 61 Bills, the highest in the country.
    • The lowest was Delhi which passed one Bill, followed by West Bengal and Kerala, which passed two and three Bills respectively.

    2) States pass Bills without scrutiny

    • The report states that the State legislatures pass most Bills without detailed scrutiny.
    • In 2020, 59 per cent of the Bills were passed on the same day that they were introduced in the legislature.
    • A further 14 per cent were passed within a day of being introduced.
    • In Parliament, Bills are often referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees for detailed examination.
    • In most states, such committees are non-existent.

    3) Information not shared by the legislature

    • Information and data on state legislatures is not easily available.
    • While some state legislatures publish data on a regular basis, many do not have a systematic way of reporting legislative proceedings and business.”
    • Typically, information becomes available when countervailing pressure is generated.
    • Reports like this help to do that.

    Consider the question “In discussions on reforms, or debates about public expenditure, there is an excessive focus on the Union government. However, on reforms and public expenditures, we also need to focus on scrutinising the states”. Comment.

     

    Conclusion

    Scrutinising States on various areas of their functioning is important to hold them accountable. The availability of data from state legislatures is an opportunity to monitor them better.

     

  • 10th June 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 669]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 669]

  • 10 June 2021 | Nikaalo Prelims Quiz- TS 26- Current Affairs Test 9: March 2021

    [WpProQuiz 668]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 668]

  • HOW TO WRITE PERFECT ANSWERS IN UPSC MAINS?

    HOW TO WRITE PERFECT ANSWERS IN UPSC MAINS?

    Click to register and get a free handout on Important tips for Mains answer writing

    One of the greatest student in Indian History is Arjuna. His dedication and hard work to improve his skill of archery are unmatched.

    Guru Dronacharya had instructed the cook at the ashram to not serve his students food at night. One day, however, the dinner got delayed. While everyone was eating at night, suddenly, the lights went off. As Arjuna ate in the dark, he realized that there was automatic coordination between his hands and mouth. He did not require vision to put his hand into his mouth. This was an amazing discovery for him. This meant that he could orient himself to shoot the target even in the night, through his other senses. He immediately took up his bow and arrow to practice in the dark. And from then on, the entire month, he would practice day and night!

    Day and night- just practice.

    If you want to ace your mains answer writing, then PRACTICE is your only option. Arjuna had practiced for decades before his real test in the Mahabharata war. Even you need to start your answer writing from day one and not leave it for “after the prelims” approach.

    Be Arjuna of Answer writing!

    Why Answer writing from Day 1 is necessary?

    Let me first develop enough knowledge to write answers: This is the biggest lie we tell ourselves. There is no such thing as “ENOUGH” in UPSC preparation. It is better to train ourselves from Day 1 – How to apply the knowledge that I have?

    Your knowledge is tested through your answers: If you have not learned the art to articulate your thoughts on paper, then that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Studying and writing answers is a symbiotic relationship and one reinforces the other.

    Prelims Magic: We all want quick results, we want our answers to be brilliant within a week after we clear prelims. Hence, the common excuse – I will deal with answer writing after prelims. Sorry to break it to you but magic is limited to Harry Potter books.

    Advantages of starting writing answer early:
    • Helps you retain concepts, facts, and figures.
    • Learning the trick to formulate the structure of the answer.
    • Helps to revise things and learn new things not covered by conventional books.
    • Improves your writing speed, and handwriting.

    Click to register and get a free handout on Important tips for Mains answer writing

    Some common mistakes students make in answer writing

    • Not understanding the demand of the Question: Words like ‘Examine’, ‘Comment’, or ‘Discuss’ are used for a reason in the questions. Why would UPSC use different words if it wants the same structure from each question?
    • Structure a Mental Framework: If you lack the practice then, you are not able to create a mental framework. This leads to poor answers- you write points as you remember in a haphazard manner. This completely compromises your presentation.
    • Introduction, body, and conclusion: This is the ideal structure for the mains answer. One very common mistake is that students have a tendency to generalize the introduction and conclusion. Along with this, the scope of dimensions in the body is limited.
    • Low hanging fruits: Some elements in your answer like a diagram, reports/commissions, and supreme court judgments can uplift the quality of your answers. Students have a tendency to skip them.

    These are just a few mistakes, in the initial phase of answer writing, students make a lot of such mistakes which can cost them marks. The real Smart study is to overcome such silly mistakes in your answer writing from the very start.

    Click to register and get a free handout on Important tips for Mains answer writing

    This Handout is drafted by SAJAL SIR himself which deals with 20 key points for Mains answer writing. This handbook can give you a new insight into what mistakes you are making while writing answers.

    This is absolutely free. So, go register yourself NOW! and GET the handbook in your email WITHIN 72 HOURS.

    Also, you will get a FREE MAINS MENTOR call post-registration.

    About the Author

    Sajal Singh

    Sajal sir is known to make Economics and IR as easy as a cakewalk. He scored one of the highest marks in GS in the 2017 UPSC exam. Under his guidance, more than 80 percent of Students qualified for UPSC interview 2020 in Smash mains Program.

    Sajal sir’s marks in UPSC 2017 GS Mains paper were:

    • GS Paper 1 – 132
    • GS Paper 2 – 125
    • GS Paper 3 – 130

  • 10th June 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1 Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

    GS-2 Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to
    the federal structure

    GS-3 Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth,
    development and employment.
    Inclusive growth and issues arising from it

    GS-4 Case Study

     

    Following are the questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1) “Path that India followed since 1947 has strong impression of its struggle for Independence” Comment (10 marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2) In discussions on reforms, or debates about public expenditure, there is an excessive focus on the Union government. However, on reforms and public expenditures, we also need to focus on scrutinising the states. Comment. (10 marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3) Financial capital is just one of the multiple capitals a successful company must possess. This brings sustainability into the focus. In light of this, discuss the factors that are forcing the companies to factor in the sustainability in their business models. (10 marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4) Today we live in the world of social media. In this age the question of individual privacy has gained utmost importance. Various social media platforms has declared individual privacy as the centre of their policies and has focused on end to end encryption. This focus on privacy at times exploited anti-social elements to arrange funds for their activities or promote their agenda beyond the eyes of law enforcement agencies. Consequently there is a tussle between sovereign governments on one hand and social media platforms on other. For social media platforms the end user is all that matters and their privacy is of utmost important. While, for government to perform its sovereign functions some knowledge of peoples activities on social media platforms is must. (a). What are the Ethical issues involved in this case? (b). In your opinion what should be focused- individual privacy or sovereign functions? (c). What do you think should be the main provision of Government’s social media policy? (20 marks

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 1st June is uploaded on 1st June then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 1st June is uploaded on 3rd June, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Swatantra so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. Swatantra Sir’s tag is available, tag him.

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • [RSTV Archive] PMGKAY- Shielding the vulnerable in crisis

    In a major relief to the poor amid the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, PM has announced that the government has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to distribute wheat and rice-free of cost to around 80 crore people till November this year.

    Background

    • After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year in March, the PMGKAY scheme was launched to support the vulnerable sections of society. It was implemented during April to November 2020.
    • In this edition we shall understand more about the scheme and how beneficial will it be for the vulnerable population amid the pandemic.

    What is PMGKAY?

    • PMGKAY is a food security welfare scheme announced by the GoI in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
    • The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
    • The scale of this welfare scheme makes it the largest food security program in the world.0

    Major provisions

    • The scheme aims to feed the poorest citizens of India by providing grain through the Public Distribution System, to all the priority households (ration card holders and those identified by the Antyodaya Anna Yojana).
    • It provides 5 kg of rice or wheat (according to regional dietary preferences) per person and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card.

    Why was such a scheme needed?

    The devastation by this pandemic has increased manifold in the second wave resulting into localized restrictions and lockdowns from the States.

    • This has resulted in massive jobs losses in urban areas since the largest employers being construction and hospitality sectors have been completely shut down.
    • The virus has penetrated deeper in the countryside in rural areas halting almost every sources of livelihood.
    • These areas are such where 60% of the income was earned from non-pharm activities. This resulted in livelihood losses of large section of population.

    Success of the scheme

    • It was the first step by the government when pandemic affected India.
    • The scheme reached its targeted population feeding almost 80Cr people.
    • It has proven to be more of a safety net to migrant people who had job and livelihood losses.
    • This has also ensured nutrition security to children of the migrant workers.

    Failures

    • The scheme has been affected by widespread corruption, leakages and failure to distribute grain to the intended recipients.
    • Several of the states above have claimed that the ineffective distribution has been caused by the beneficiaries, especially migrant workers, not being available to receive their rations.
    • Out of the 79.25 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), only 55 crore have so far received their 5 kg.
    • However, almost 90% of beneficiaries have received their regular subsidized grain for the month, raising questions over why the free grain has reached fewer beneficiaries.
    • Many people were denied their share due to inability to access ration cards.
    • Livelihood losses led to decline in aggregate demand and resulted into lowest ever consumption expenditure by the people owing to scarcity of cash.
    • This in turn led to selling of the free grains obtained in the local markets for cash.

    Way forward: Making it a roaring success

    • There should be a all-encompassing database for migrant workers and their family. This should accurately capture the data on migration.
    • The One Nation One Ration Card should be implemented in true spirit by all the states.
    • Along with food security, there should be a sustainable income support through schemes like MGNREGS accompanied by free vaccines in nearest future.
    • The leakages in PDS should be minimized through modernize PDS. To avoid leakages, there should be food-token system.

    Conclusion

    Implementation has been a historical problem in our country with any of the schemes which is meant particularly for poor.

    Source:

  • Centre announces hike in MSP

    The Central government has hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for the coming Kharif season. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

    Answer this PYQ from CSP 2018 in the comment box:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Areca nut
    2. Barley
    3. Coffee
    4. Finger millet
    5. Groundnut
    6. Sesamum
    7. Turmeric

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has announced the Minimum Support Price for which of the above?

    (a) 1, 2, 3 and 7 only

    (b) 2, 4, 5 and 6 only

    (c) 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7

    What is the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system?

    • MSP is a form of market intervention by the Govt. of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.
    • MSP is price fixed by GoI to protect the producer – farmers – against excessive fall in price during bumper production years.

    Who announces it?

    • MSP is announced at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on recommendations by Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices(CACP) and announced by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the PM of India.

    Why MSP?

    • The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution.
    • They are a guaranteed price for their produce from the Government.
    • In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced MSP due to bumper production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the farmers at the announced MSP.

    Historical perspective

    • Till the mid-1970s, Government announced two types of administered prices:
    1. Minimum Support Prices (MSP)
    2. Procurement Prices
    • The MSPs served as the floor prices and were fixed by the Govt. in the nature of a long-term guarantee for investment decisions of producers, with the assurance that prices of their commodities would not be allowed to fall below the level fixed by the Government, even in the case of a bumper crop.
    • Procurement prices were the prices of Kharif and rabi cereals at which the grain was to be domestically procured by public agencies (like the FCI) for release through PDS.
    • It was announced soon after harvest began.
    • Normally procurement price was lower than the open market price and higher than the MSP.

    Crops Covered

    1. Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.
    2. The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops.
    3. The list of crops is as follows:
    • Cereals (7) – paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi
    • Pulses (5) – gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil
    • Oilseeds (8) – groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed
    • Raw cotton
    • Raw jute
    • Copra
    • De-husked coconut
    • Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price)
    • Virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco

    Exception for Sugar

    • The pricing of sugarcane is governed by the statutory provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 issued under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955.
    • Prior to 2009-10 sugar season, the Central Government was fixing the Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) of sugarcane and farmers were entitled to share profits of a sugar mill on 50:50 basis.
    • As this sharing of profits remained virtually unimplemented, the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 was amended in October 2009 and the concept of SMP was replaced by the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane.

  • Legalizing Bitcoin in El Salvador and takeaways for India

    El Salvador, a small coastal country in Central America, on became the first in the world to make Bitcoin, a digital currency, legal.

    Lessons for India

    While there are many precedents El Salvador sets for a global debate on cryptocurrency, we explore what this means in the Indian context.

    (1) Not a precedent for monetary policy

    • The development in El Salvador changes little in terms of Indian monetary calculations around cryptocurrencies.
    • The dynamic underpinning the whole move is that El Salvador has no monetary policy of its own and hence, no local currency to protect.
    • The country was officially ‘dollarized’ in 2001 and runs on the monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve.
    • The move is in part motivated by loose and expansionary Federal Reserve policy.

    (2) Coexistence with USD

    • The dollar will continue to remain the dominant currency in the country and Bitcoin would exist side by side.
    • Indeed, some analysts have pointed out how bitcoinization might change nothing on the ground if “legal tender” is to be considered by its strict legal definition.
    • However, as a result of this development, El Salvador becomes a most interesting case study of how the dollar and bitcoin would coexist side by side, and how that would play out for Bitcoin adoption.

    (3) Not merely currency but technology

    • The overall use of Bitcoin appears less motivated by its use as a currency and much more by the image and investment boost this could give the country towards innovation.
    • El Salvador believes that this move will be good for luring “technology, talent, and new ideas” into the country.
    • The move into Bitcoin ties in with larger efforts to revive a stalling economy and bring back growth into the country post-Covid.

    (4) Potential shift in remittances

    • The impact Bitcoin has on these remittance inflows would be worth monitoring for India, which is home to the largest remittance market in the world.
    • Remittances make up close to 20% of El Salvador’s GDP with flows approximating $6 billion annually.
    • Many citizens lack a bank account and digital banking has low penetration.
    • In this scenario, there are multiple intermediaries in the remittance chain who take cuts of as high as 20%.

    (5) Impact on money laundering

    • The implication of this move for money laundering is unclear at the moment.
    • Currently, El Salvador is not considered deficient under the FATF money laundering requirements.
    • However, with large scale cryptocurrency inflows and outflows, it would be expected that El Salvador would comply with the 2019 FATF guidance on Virtual Currencies.

    Conclusion

    • The overall takeaway for India from the El Salvador case is not in the monetary sense at all.
    • This is the wealth that India has in spades and has barely protected with policy.
    • While deliberations continue in India on the monetary and financial regulations around cryptocurrency.
    • It is important that attention be paid to incentives for India’s developers working on key innovations in the space.

    Back2Basics: Bitcoin

    • Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for intermediaries.
    • Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain.
    • The cryptocurrency was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto.
    • The currency began to use in 2009 when its implementation was released as open-source software.

  • India’s ethanol roadmap: The targets and challenges

    The government of India has advanced the target for 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025 from 2030. E20 will be rolled out from April 2023.

    What is the move?

    • A government-appointed panel has recommended to the Centre to keep the price of ethanol-blended petrol lower than normal petrol in view of lower calorific value as also to incentivize people to go for the clean fuel.
    • This measure is aimed at reducing the country’s oil import bill and carbon dioxide pollution. This new initiative is also part of measures to improve energy security and self-sufficiency measures.

    Roadmap for Ethanol Blending

    • The central government has released an expert committee report on the Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025.
    • The roadmap proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by April 2022 and phased rollout of E20 from April 2023 to April 2025.
    • Currently, 8.5 per cent of ethanol is blended with petrol in India.
    • In order to introduce vehicles that are compatible the committee recommends roll out of E20 material-compliant and E10 engine-tuned vehicles from April 2023 and production of E20-tuned engine vehicles from April 2025.

    What is included in the roadmap?

    (1) Energy security

    • The Union government has emphasized that increased use of ethanol can help reduce the oil import bill.
    • India’s net import cost stands at $551 billion in 2020-21. It is estimated that the E20 program can save the country $4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per annum.
    • Last year, oil companies procured ethanol worth about Rs 21,000 crore.
    • Hence it is benefitting the sugarcane farmers.
    • Further, the government plans to encourage the use of water-sparing crops, such as maize, to produce ethanol, and the production of ethanol from the non-food feedstock.

    (2) Fuel efficiency

    • There is an estimated loss of six-seven per cent fuel efficiency for four-wheelers and three-four per cent for two-wheelers when using E20, the committee report noted.
    • These vehicles are originally designed for E0 and calibrated for E10.
    • The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers informed the expert committee that with modifications in engines (hardware and tuning), the loss in efficiency due to blended fuel can be reduced.

    (3) Recalibrating engines

    • The use of E20 will require new engine specifications and changes to the fuel lines, as well as some plastic and rubber parts due to the fuel’s corrosive nature.
    • The engines, moreover, will need to be recalibrated to achieve the required power-, efficiency- and emission-level balance due to the lower energy density of the fuel.
    • This can be taken care of by producing compatible vehicles.

    (4) Vehicles rollout

    • E20 material compliant and E10 compliant vehicles may be rolled out across the country from April 2023, the committee noted.
    • These vehicles can tolerate 10 to 20 per cent of ethanol-blended petrol and also deliver optimal performance with E10 fuel.
    • Vehicles with E20-tuned engines can be rolled out all across the country from April 2025.
    • These vehicles would run on E20 only and will provide high performance.

    (5) Flex-fuel

    • A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel and both fuels are stored in the same common tank.
    • The Union ministry of road transport and highways issued a gazette notification March 2021 mandating stickers on vehicles mentioning their E20, E85 or E100 compatibility.
    • This will pave the way for flex fuel vehicles.

    Why such a move?

    (1) Fuel efficiency

    • Considering just the end use also indicates that CO2 emissions from blended fuel are lower than that for petrol since ethanol contains less carbon than petrol and produces less CO2.
    • The blended fuel burns more efficiently with a more homogenous mixture, which leads to a decrease in CO2 emissions compared with pure petrol.
    • The carbon dioxide released by a vehicle when ethanol is burned is offset by the carbon dioxide captured when the feedstock crops are grown to produce ethanol.
    • Comparatively, no emissions are offset when these petroleum products are burned.

    (2) Emission reduction

    • Use of ethanol-blended petrol decreases emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the expert committee noted.
    • Higher reductions in CO emissions were observed with E20 fuel — 50 per cent lower in two-wheelers and 30 per cent lower in four-wheelers.
    • HC emissions reduced by 20 per cent with ethanol blends compared to normal petrol.
    • Nitrous oxide emissions, however, did not show a significant trend as it depended on the vehicle / engine type and engine operating conditions.
    • The unregulated carbonyl emissions, such as acetaldehyde emission were, however, higher with E10 and E20 compared to normal petrol.
    • However, these emissions were relatively lower. Evaporative emission test results with E20 fuel were similar to E0.

    Global shreds of evidence

    • An increase in the ethanol content in fuels reduced the emissions of some regulated pollutants such as CO, HC and CO2.
    • However, no such change in emissions was observed for nitrogen oxides emissions.
    • The addition of ethanol, with a high blending octane number, however, allowed a reduction in aromatics in petrol.
    • Such blends also burn cleaner as they have higher octane levels than pure petrol but have higher evaporative emissions from fuel tanks and dispensing equipment.

    Challenges ahead

    • Petrol requires extra processing to reduce evaporative emissions before blending with ethanol.
    • It is crucial to study the emissions from flexible fuel vehicles not only for the regulated gases but also the unregulated ones.
    • But producing and burning ethanol results in CO2 emissions.
    • Hence, net CO2 emission benefit depends on how ethanol is made and whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations.
    • In summary, as we progress towards higher blending of ethanol, careful monitoring and assessment of emissions changes will be needed to make sure that emission reduction potential can be enhanced.

    Back2Basics: EBP Programme

    • Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in January, 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol blended petrol.
    • The programme sought to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuels and to reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
    • OMCs are advised to continue according to priority of ethanol from 1) sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, 2) B-heavy molasses 3) C-heavy molasses and 4) damaged food grains/other sources.
    • At present, this programme has been extended to the whole of India except UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.

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