Report of Expert Committee on National Auto Fuel Policy and Vision 2025

The Standing Committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas (Chaired by Mr. Pralhad Joshi) submitted its report on the National Auto Fuel Policy on May 7, 2015. The objective of the Expert Committee was to draw a roadmap for the auto fuel quality till 2025.

• The earlier Auto Fuel Policy of 2003 aims at addressing issues of vehicular emissions and vehicular technologies by applying fuel quality standards.
• The Standing Committee recommended that in order to achieve the unified fuel norm, the Ministry should implement the less polluting Bharat Stage (BS)-IV quality of fuel standard across the country by 2017. Further, it recommended the implementation of the BS-VI quality of fuel standard by 2020. All refineries to be upgraded in a phase wise manner to produce BS-IV quality of fuel.
• The Committee recommended on levying a high Sulphur Cess on high polluting BS-III automotive fuels. It also recommended a special fuel up-gradation Cess on all gasoline and diesel sold.
• It directs as fossil fuel reserves are depleting, the Ministry must assess the commercial viability of non-conventional fuels.
• It recommended the Ministry to give high priority to coverage of more areas under Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
• The establishment of a Centralised National Data Centre for collecting information regarding polluting vehicles is recommended.
• The constitution of an Inter-Ministerial Committee of Secretaries of the concerned Ministries is required.
• It is recommended that the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas impresses upon the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to implement the safety and emission performance of vehicles.
• Formulation of a Vehicle Retirement Policy will improve air quality. The Ministry should apply the provisions under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to formulate an age limit for retirement of vehicles.

Status at Present

• It is ironic that no data is available on the status of transition to BS-IV and V vehicles or fuels. A 2016 report of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), however, paints a dismal picture.
• It says BS-IV vehicles are available in over 30 cities of India, but not across the country. Trucks and other heavy vehicles continue to be registered as BS-III. It says the automobile manufacturers are ready to produce only BS-IV vehicles.
• Later, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that no Bharat Stage IV vehicle shall be sold across the country with effect from April 1, 2020. Instead, the Bharat Stage VI (or BS-VI) emission norm would come into force from April 1, 2020 across the country. A three-judge bench ruled that the need of the hour was to move to a cleaner fuel. In 2016, the Centre announced that the country would skip the BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020.