Bharat Stage Norms – UPSC Prelims

Bharat Stage Norms
  • Bharat stage norms are emission standards instituted by Government to regulate output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles.
  • The standards and timeline for implementation are set by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change.
  • The standards are based on European regulations and were first introduced in 2000.
  • Since then, various stages Bharat Stage compatible fuel and upgraded and modified vehicles were introduced throughout the country.
  • The harmful emissions that are identified for regulations in different Bharat Stages (BS) are carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate matter (PM).
  • Each stage specifies a certain limit on the pollutants released, Higher the Bharat Stage goes lesser it emits pollutants. BS-I, BS-II and BS-III stages were launched inĀ 2000, 2005 and 2010 respectively.
BS VI Norms
  • The BS-IV compliant fuels have Sulphur concentration of 50 parts per million (ppm).
  • It will come down to 10 ppm in BS-VI compliant fuels and auto engines.
  • It will result in lower level of harmful emissions and reduced incidence of lung diseases.
  • Moreover, switch to BS-VI norms will also reduce concentration of carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbons, nitrous oxide (NOx) and particulate matter from emissions.
  • In 2015 India had decided to leapfrog to BS-VI emission norm compliant petrol and diesel from April 2020, from the BS-IV grade by skipping BS-V norms.

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