Gadkari Says He Advised Researchers To 'Copy-Paste' Ethanol Standards, Draws Flak Online

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, in a viral video, admitted that he had advised officials to "copy-paste" American standards for ethanol blending rather than spend years developing them from scratch.

The remarks of Gadkari have intensified the debate on E20 fuel, with the minister facing criticism online.

In the video, Gadkari said government departments often take three to four years to formulate standards and recalls becoming frustrated by delays in preparing norms for ethanol.

"One day, I said, 'Keep your research to yourself. If there is an American law, then cut the heading from above, put our details, make the necessary corrections, and give our stamp on it, and declare it'," Gadkari said.

The Road Transport Minister said that his focus was on speeding up decision-making, arguing that a minister's tenure offered limited time to complete projects.

He also said that the US and Europe had likely given greater consideration to safety while framing their own standards.

"The US must surely be better than us, and Europe must also be better than us. They must also be thinking about safety, perhaps much more than we do," Gadkari said in the video.

At the same time, the minister stresses in the video that safety should not be compromised while standards are developed for technologies including 100% ethanol, electric vehicles and hydrogen.

However, it was not immediately clear when or where the remarks were made, though the event appeared to be linked to PM GatiShakti.

Remarks Trigger Online Criticism

The video also prompted criticism from several social media users and commentators. Some questioned whether adapting overseas standards without lengthy domestic research could affect vehicle owners.

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla while sharing the video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, said, "Many influencers are attempting to troll TEAM BHARAT saying the video against Shri Nitin Gadkari ji sir is an AI video. Here is the original. This man copy pasted the Ethanol Standards policy from the US."

"He lied to the Hon'ble Courts he has nothing to do with Ethanol. He needs to be sacked ASAP," he added. Poonawalla has been campaigning against E20 petrol through his Team Bharat initiative.

The remarks have also drawn attention because Gadkari recently told Parliament, in a written reply, that the E20 programme followed extensive scientific testing and multi-year research involving institutions such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

Vehicle owners, particularly those using pre-2023 models, have raised concerns about lower mileage, increased wear and tear and potentially higher maintenance costs.

The government has acknowledged a marginal reduction in fuel efficiency but maintains that testing has found no evidence linking E20 to engine failures.

Gadkari has previously highlighted benefits including improved acceleration and lower emissions compared with E10 fuel.