India’s fuel mileage standards to be in place by year-end  

India’s long feud between the road transport ministry and the power ministry over who would set the fuel mileage standards have been fixed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which falls under the aegis of the power ministry, had initiated the process nearly three years ago. But it faced stiff opposition from the automobile industry. The road transport ministry created more confusion by insisting that it was its prerogative to run the program. It also recommended that the standards be based on carbon dioxide emissions, countering the BEE’s proposal. The prime minister’s directive ruled that BEE will set up the standards for regulating fuel efficiency in automobiles under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, for implementation by the road transport ministry. The standards are expected to be in place by year-end. (August 23, 2010)