Why does India use three plugs?

[Marc_LFD]

That's excessive for a country and normally it's one plug per country, minus some exceptions like India (3x), Cyprus (2x), Uruguay (2x), etc.

So, does anyone know why?

Source: https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/india/

This looks as though it could be confusing and messy by not having the correct power strip for it.

In the West, we complain about the "box" plugs, but it would be even worse with three different models.

In 2017, Nintendo released this:

Thanks, Nintendo, for being stuck in the past.

 

[Creamu]

Grounding

 

[tech3475]

According to this, the different plugs have different ratings and uses:
https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/d/

 

[smf]

I guess it's because the country is so large that they never standardized on one.

The uk for instance had way more than three https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/British-plugSocket_history.html

 

[Marc_LFD]

According to this, the different plugs have different ratings and uses:
https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/d/

Can't say I'm surprised they use a U.K. plug. That, or it'd be a Euro plug (since the Portuguese were there it could've gone either way, I guess).

I guess it's because the country is so large that they never standardized on one.

The uk for instance had way more than three https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/British-plugSocket_history.html

Whoa, they really went through a heck of a lot before deciding the permanent one and after all that, they made the right decision.

The American and Euro plugs are somewhat similar and they don't use fuses like the British do.

I'm no electrician, but this sort of stuff fascinates me.

 

[tech3475]

Can't say I'm surprised they use a U.K. plug. That, or it'd be a Euro plug (since the Portuguese were there it could've gone either way, I guess).

The Type D plug is extremely niche here in the UK from my experience, last time I saw one it was some decades old high powered lights at a school.

You're more likely to find the Euro/Euro style connector here for shavers, etc. Since they're using in Bathrooms.

 

[zxr750j]

I vote for eu-plug for everybody! (and please use the metric system)

 

[Marc_LFD]

I vote for eu-plug for everybody! (and please use the metric system)

Yikes, the Euro plug.

Although, I'm not against the metric system.

 

[tech3475]

I vote for eu-plug for everybody! (and please use the metric system)

I find the lack of switches on Euro sockets a turn off.

 

[zxr750j]

I find the lack of switches on Euro sockets a turn off.

I do like those switches, they turn me on!

 

[el3venth]

I hate switches. Half the time I plug in an extension cord, pass it through the windows, walk out to the garden around the house, turn on the chainsaw, and dead. Then walk back, toggle the switch, walk back, test. Then figure out it is still not working and figure out I didn't disengage the safety, but had now turned off the switch. Then walk back, toggle the switch, walk back, test. Success.

And it is not like the switch is a safety thing. If your connection is good, then you can just yank on the cable in case of emergency.

At least South Africa is now moving towards the N-type. (The only world standard plug IEC 60906-1).

 

[Catastrophic]

Third prong is grounding. Not sure why regions using 230V can't just decide on a plug design, though.

 

[linuxares]

We all should honestly switch to the UK plug. It's the safest of them all. However they're super bulky.

 

[hippy dave]

We all should honestly switch to the UK plug. It's the safest of them all. However they're super bulky.

They really are. Nice folding designs exist on occasional premium products, but the regular plugs are big, ungainly to pack, and painful to step on

 

[linuxares]

They really are. Nice folding designs exist on occasional premium products, but the regular plugs are big, ungainly to pack, and painful to step on

Haha for sure, but honestly, even the EU plugs are plenty hurtful to step on. But then again, they aren't lined directly upwards like the UK once x3

 

[hippy dave]

Haha for sure, but honestly, even the EU plugs are plenty hurtful to step on. But then again, they aren't lined directly upwards like the UK once x3

Yeah it's like someone saw what Lego bricks were like to stand on and thought "we can do better!"

 

[linuxares]

Yeah it's like someone saw what Lego bricks were like to stand on and thought "we can do better!"

It's deliciously ingenious! Pull the plugs out during the night, put them infront if your windows. Tada! Theft protection!

 

[pwsincd]

Domestically there is two uk plugs and several commercial/industrial...

 

[zxr750j]

We do have this one in Europe (for kitchen appliances)

This holds back an elephant!

 

[trimesh]

They used to be a British colony and used the old BS546 style plugs that were in use in the UK. That used different sized plugs for different device ratings - the ones described as "Type D" and "Type M" are two of them. Because the US adopted the current BS1363 style plugs after India became independent, they have remained in use in India. I guess the Europlug ended up being used because they had a bunch of devices that used it and it's close to the same voltage.