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SP 30 : 2023

INTRODUCTION

India is on the path of sustainable development and its infrastructure sector has grown progressively. The buildings
and services so constructed depend on power for their construction and effective utilization. Building and Industry
sectors are fastest growing segments of economy in past decade and are expected to remain so for running decade.
It would also see adoption of various technological innovation both for quality of life and sustainable economic
growth. In fact, power is one of the prime movers of development and electricity is the predominant form of
energy being used on account of ease of generation/conversion, transmission, distribution, and utilization.
Specific statutory provisions to be adhered to in the supply and use of electricity had been laid down by the
erstwhile Indian Electricity Act, 1910 and the Indian Electricity Rules, 1956 framed, thereunder. After the
enactment of The Electricity Act, 2003, repealing the previous Indian Electricity Act of 1910, the Indian Electricity
Rules of 1956 were replaced by regulations in 2010. A need was felt to elaborate upon these regulations since
the agencies involved have varied practices, in view of their diverse interests, and different accessibility levels to
technological developments. Earlier, in order to rationalize these practices, India’s first National Electrical Code,
formulated in 1985, was a compendium of several well-established codes of practice which provided assistance
on economic selection, installation and maintenance of electrical equipment employed in the usage of electrical
energy. This edition was revised in 2011, to include special aspects like solar PV power supply systems. The code
complemented and elaborated on the statutory provisions, for the ease of application by the system engineers,
by recommending the best practices for electrical installations in a consolidated form in order to provide for
unified practices and procedures along with consideration for safety and economic usage of energy in the design,
execution, inspection and maintenance of electrical installations of various locations.
During the formulation of the National Electrical Code in 1985 and its subsequent revision in 2011, it was realized
that the various referred codes on wiring practice, earthing, lightning protection etc., were revised and updated
in line with the practices and technology available at that time. Over the years, there have been more updates in
the technology and new practices are being followed. Also, there have been tremendous socio-economic changes,
leading to change in the pattern of the usage of electricity. With technological advances and India’s focus on
renewable energy, an urgent need was felt to revise the NEC at the earliest to maintain its relevance in the present
context.
The task for revision of NEC of India was taken up by the Electrical Installations Sectional Committee, ETD 20
considering the above factors. This revision follows the earlier structure of NEC, with modifications and additions
being incorporated in line with IEC 60364 series of standards on ‘Low-Voltage Electrical Installations’ as well as
the changes and developments that took place since the publication of NEC 2011. It is visualized that in future,
further harmonization with international codes may be take place.
It is obligatory that the Electrical installation shall be carried out in accordance with the Central Electricity
Authority (Measures related to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations 2010 (amended in 2015, 2018, 2019)
and relevant regulations as amended or brought into force from time to time. It may be noted that Regulation
12 specifies to follow National Electrical Code for electrical installations. Further, it also states that all material,
accessories, appliances etc., used in an electrical installation shall conform to Indian Standards or International
Electrotechnical Standards (IEC) wherever they exist. Section 146 of Electricity Act states any contravention with
the provisions of the Act or rules, regulations made thereunder is punishable. Under the various sections, reference
of related regulations are given, which will prove helpful in interpretation. In the event of any inconsistency
between CEA regulations and National Electrical Code, the provisions of CEA regulations shall prevail.
In this version, attention is drawn towards good workmanship and proper coordination and collaboration between
the architect, civil work counterpart, agencies involved in the installation work of other building services and
the agency executing the job of electrical installation, from the planning stage itself. The design of electrical
installation is required to take into account the characteristics of available supply, nature of demand, environmental
conditions, type of wiring and methods of installations, protective equipment, emergency control, disconnecting
devices, prevention of mutual influence between electrical and non-electrical installations, accessibility and also,
the user considering his ergonomic requirements (well informed or ignorant) etc.
The Code is divided into eight parts, which are further divided into multiple sections. Part 1 covers the General
and common aspects, which applies to all types of electrical installations. Wiring installations are an important
aspect of any electrical installation. The revision of Part 1 is being carried out to align with international practices
and the latest provisions of IS 732 which is the relevant code of practice for wiring installations. The sections
related to Power quality, earthing and lightning protection have been modified to align with the provisions of
their respective codes. In view of increased concerns on safety aspects, sections on protection for safety such

INTRODUCTION i