www.sawasjournal.org Volume 2 | Issue 1 New Laws Establishing Independent Regulatory Agencies in the Indian Water Sector: Long Term Implications for Governance 49 NEW LAWS ESTABLISHING INDEPENDENT REGULATORY AGENCIES IN THE INDIAN WATER SECTOR: Long Term Implications for Governance Subodh Wagle 1 and Sachin Warghade 2 Abstract Independent Regulatory Agencies (or IRAs) 3 are new governance mechanisms introduced at the state level in the Indian water sector through special laws, which bring in comprehensive and fundamental changes in governance of the sector. This paper aims at examining these changes and their impact on the governance of the seĐtoƌ as ǁell as oŶ the iŶteƌests of the ŶoŶ-doŵiŶaŶt seĐtioŶs of soĐietLJ. Keywords Water Sector Reform, Independent Regulation, India, Reform Laws, Water Governance The paper focuses on the five aspects of the structure and functioning of the IRAs as defined by the laws: Process of Formulation of the Laws, Selection of Members of IRAs, Composition of IRAs, Procedural Matters in the Functioning of the IRAs and Substantive Matters in the Functioning of the 1 He is a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), V. N. Purav Marg, Deonar, Mumbai, 400088, India, Email: subodhwagle@gmail.com 2 He is a Senior Research Associate in the Resources and Livelihoods Group, PRAYAS-Pune at B-21, B.K. Avenue, Opp. Paranjpe School, New D. P. Road, Azadnagar, Kothrud, Pune-411038, India, Email: sachinwarghade@gmail.com 3 Independent Regulatory Agencies is a term to denote a category of organizational mechanisms which are given the ƌegulatoƌLJ fuŶĐtioŶs aŶd aƌe supposed to ďe iŶdepeŶdeŶt of the state. “uĐh ageŶĐies ĐaŶ take diffeƌeŶt oƌgaŶizatioŶal foƌŵs iŶ diffeƌeŶt seĐtoƌ aĐƌoss ĐouŶtƌies suĐh as aŶ AuthoƌitLJ oƌ CoŵŵissioŶ iŶ the Đase of India.