Mains Answer Writing - 25 Aug, 2026

GS3

Economy

15 marks

The recent rise in sugar prices has revived the debate over diverting sugarcane for ethanol production. Examine the economic and environmental significance of India’s ethanol-blending programme and the challenges of balancing food, fuel and farmer interests.

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Tips for your answer

Avoid claiming that ethanol diversion caused the recent sugar-price spike. Present the deeper policy challenge as dynamically allocating sugarcane between food and fuel depending on production and inventories.
Remember E20, sugarcane-based and grain-based ethanol, 2G ethanol and the food-versus-fuel debate.
Do not write a generic answer on biofuels. Focus specifically on the sugar–ethanol linkage and the policy trade-off among energy security, sugar prices, farmer incomes and environmental sustainability.

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