- Why in news
- The Forum of Regulators (FOR) held its 100th meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as reported on 11 May 2026, marking 21 years since it was set up in 2005.
- What it is
- The Forum of Regulators (FOR) is a platform of the Central and State electricity regulatory commissions. It was set up in 2005 to harmonise and coordinate regulatory practice across the power sector. The CERC chairperson chairs it and the CERC provides its secretariat.
- Membership
- It brings together the Central and State electricity regulatory commissions.
- Chair and secretariat
- The CERC Chairperson is also the FOR Chairperson, and the CERC Secretary is the FOR Secretary.
- Outputs so far
- The Forum has produced 71 studies, 55 capacity building programmes, 25 Model Regulations, 6 Technical Committee Reports and 37 Working Group Reports.
- Legal basis
- The Forum was constituted under Section 166(2) of the Electricity Act, 2003.
Don’t confuse with FOR vs CERC: CERC is the central regulator that sets tariffs for central generation and inter-state transmission. FOR is only a coordinating platform of regulators and does not itself regulate tariffs.
Don’t confuse with FOR vs Forum of Indian Regulators (FOIR): FOR covers only electricity regulators. FOIR is a separate body covering regulators across sectors.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Coordinates regulatory practice across Centre and States in a sector where the Constitution makes power a Concurrent subject.
- Model regulations and studies help spread good practices on open access, tariffs and utility reform.
Problems
- It is a coordinating forum, so its model regulations and recommendations are not binding on State commissions.
- State commissions differ in capacity and in the political pressure they face on tariffs.
Way forward
- Strengthen State regulators' capacity through regular training and shared technical support.
- Encourage States to adopt model regulations so that rules are more uniform.
Put in your answer
Forum outputs: The Forum's 25 Model Regulations and 71 studies can be cited as examples of cooperative federalism in power regulation.
Reform issues debated: Open access, tariff rationalisation and unbundling of utilities were debated in the Forum.
- 2015Mains GS2 · Q16Discuss why regulatory institutions must remain independent and autonomous, citing experiences.
- 2014Mains GS2 · Q8Discuss a Rail Tariff Authority using power sector regulation experience.
- 2016Mains GS2 · Q8What is a quasi-judicial body? Explain with concrete examples.
- 2019Prelims Q69Which bodies review independent regulators in telecom, insurance, electricity sectors?
- 2019Prelims Q74Statements on PNGRB and appeals to Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Statutory body set up in 2005 under the Electricity Act, chaired by CERC chairperson; a lasting topic, but statutory bodies are only 7 Prelims questions and the release is a milestone event.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.