India's ethanol math isn't mathing. Despite the great rice diversion

India's ethanol push is drawing on rice procured with taxpayers' money meant for the country's food security system. Rice stocks of the FCI are being supplied to distillers at a heavily subsidised price. The government says this helps use surplus stocks and cut oil imports. But the question over the food-versus-fuel trade-off, when around 80 crore Indians depend on free foodgrains, remains unanswered.