The Prayas Energy Group, Prayas Resources and Livelihoods Group and the Centre for the Study of Law & Governance, JNU jointly organised a National Consultation on Regulation and the Poor at New Delhi on 12-13, July 2007. The consultation was an effort to bring together various academic and civil society groups to broaden the understanding of the scope, potential and limits of regulation as an institution of governance. One of the objectives was to consolidate ideas on strategies for different actors on the issue of ‘regulation and the poor’ in the electricity and water sectors. There were around 50 participants in the Consultation – working on electricity and water sectors and coming from 7 States. There were two panel sessions in which senior analysts and bureaucrats shared their views.

This Report captures the key aspects of the Consultation. It contains the final Agenda, List of participants, Report of the Consultation, Presentations, Handouts, Issue notes prepared by participants, Background paper on ‘Theory of Independent Regulation’, Annotated bibliography on Independent regulation, Concept note and the Invitation letter.