OPEC's quota freeze

The downward movement of international oil prices should not be treated as celebration time to splurge on fuel consumption (“

>A mixed blessing for India ,” Nov. 29). Instead, we should pause and introspect on how we must insulate ourselves from future oil shocks which may not be far away given the uncertainties of the global geopolitical situation. Paradoxical as it may sound, this is the right time to actively promote fuel efficiency for vehicles through mandatory prescriptions. The revival of the failed bio fuel policy, oil exploration by state agencies and research on alternative fuels are areas that demand close attention from the government. Selling energy reforms during a low oil price reign may appear as a losing proposition, but a road map for reducing dependency on imported oil has to come right now.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram