Electricals: what to look for

Electricals need the most care. Your hostel or PG may restrict which appliances you can use, and a room may have only a socket or two. Check the rules first, then check the product: in India, several of these types fall under compulsory BIS certification, so look for the ISI mark or the BIS registration number before you buy.

Checking a BIS mark before you buy

For products under compulsory certification, the Central Government makes the BIS Standard Mark mandatory through Quality Control Orders. Source: BIS compulsory certification page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
An ISI-marked product should also show its licence number with the mark. BIS says it should preferably appear below the mark, as CM/L- followed by the number. Source: BIS Standard Mark page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
Electronics such as power banks and power adaptors (chargers) for IT equipment are on a separate list, BIS’s Compulsory Registration Scheme. Under that scheme BIS lets manufacturers apply the Standard Mark with a unique registration (R-) number. Source: BIS Scheme II (registration) list (opens in a new tab); BIS CRS portal: About CRS (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
The free BIS Care app (Android and iOS) can verify a licence or an R-number, and has a complaints option. Source: BIS Care app page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

An online listing photo can be wrong. Check the mark and number on the product or box when it arrives, and return it if they are missing.

Extension board with individual switches

A room may have fewer sockets than you have devices, and the socket may be far from your desk.

Check before you buy

Read the board’s current rating and match it to what you will plug in.
Individual switches let you switch off sockets you are not using.
A cord long enough to reach your desk without stretching across the floor.
Look for ISI-marked plugs and sockets.
An overload cut-out or fuse adds protection.

Skip or avoid

Plugging one extension board into another.
Running a heater, iron or kettle together on one board.

Safety note. BIS lists plugs and socket-outlets (IS 1293) under compulsory certification. A state fire service advises against overloading sockets, running several high-load appliances on one extension board, and using damaged wires or loose plugs. Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab); Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for extension board with individual switchesAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Electric kettle (only where allowed)

Hot water for tea, instant food or a hot-water bag, where rules permit it.

Check before you buy

Check the hostel or PG rules first; some do not allow kettles in rooms.
Automatic switch-off and boil-dry protection.
A stainless steel inside is easier to clean.
Look for the ISI mark and the CM/L licence number.

Skip or avoid

Using it for anything the manual does not allow.
Plugging it into a crowded extension board.

Safety note. BIS’s compulsory list includes a 2024 order on the safety of household, commercial and similar electrical appliances (IS 302 Part 1). Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for electric kettleAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Dry iron

For interviews, presentations and office days, if there is no ironing service nearby.

Check before you buy

A dry iron is lighter and simpler than a steam iron.
A cord long enough to reach a table from the socket.
Look for the ISI mark and the CM/L licence number.

Skip or avoid

Ironing on a bed or mattress; use a folded towel on a table or an ironing mat.
Leaving a hot iron near curtains or bedding.

Safety note. Electric irons are on BIS’s compulsory certification list (IS 302 Part 2/Sec 3). A state fire service advises keeping electrical appliances away from curtains and other combustible materials. Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab); Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for dry ironAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Table or clip fan

Top bunks and corners that the ceiling fan does not reach can be very warm.

Check before you buy

Clip fans fix to a bed frame or shelf; check the clamp opening.
A stable base for table fans on a narrow desk.
Look for the ISI mark.

Skip or avoid

Placing the fan where its cord crosses a walkway.

Safety note. Household fans are on BIS’s compulsory certification list (IS 302 Part 2/Sec 80). Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for table or clip fanAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Immersion water heater (only where allowed)

Some hostels without geysers allow immersion rods for bathing water; others forbid them. Ask before you buy.

Check before you buy

Look for the ISI mark and the CM/L licence number.
Ask the warden or owner whether the socket and wiring can take its wattage.
Use a bucket that can take hot water, on a dry floor.

Skip or avoid

Touching the water, the bucket or the rod while it is switched on.
Switching on before the rod is in the water, or leaving it unattended.
Using it through an extension board.

Safety note. Electric immersion water heaters are on BIS’s compulsory certification list (IS 302 Part 2/Sec 201). Switch off and unplug before you put the rod in, take it out, or touch the water. Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for immersion water heaterAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Power bank

Long days on campus or at work, and power cuts at night.

Check before you buy

Compare the capacity (mAh) with your phone’s battery to see roughly how many charges you get.
Ports that match your cables (USB-C, USB-A).
Look for the BIS R-number, and check it in the BIS Care app.

Skip or avoid

Charging it overnight unattended, or under a pillow or blanket.

Safety note. Power banks are on BIS’s Compulsory Registration Scheme list, where the Standard Mark comes with a unique R-number that the BIS Care app can check. A state fire service advises against charging devices overnight unattended. Source: BIS Scheme II (registration) list (opens in a new tab); BIS CRS portal: About CRS (opens in a new tab); BIS Care app page (opens in a new tab); Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for power bankAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Spare phone or laptop charger

Chargers get lost, borrowed and broken in shared rooms.

Check before you buy

The same connector and a wattage your device supports.
Look for the BIS Standard Mark with an R-number, and check the number in the BIS Care app.

Skip or avoid

Chargers with no registration number, a loose fit or damaged cables.

Safety note. Power adaptors for IT equipment are on BIS’s Compulsory Registration Scheme list. Under that scheme the Standard Mark comes with a unique R-number, which you can check in the BIS Care app. Source: BIS Scheme II (registration) list (opens in a new tab); BIS CRS portal: About CRS (opens in a new tab); BIS Care app page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for spare phone or laptop chargerAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Rechargeable torch or emergency light

Power cuts, late walks back and finding things under the cot.

Check before you buy

Rechargeable types avoid buying cells; check the charging port.
A hanging hook or a stand for use as a room light.

Skip or avoid

Leaving it charging unattended overnight.

Safety note. If your torch uses dry cells, multi-purpose dry batteries (IS 8144) are on BIS’s compulsory certification list. Source: BIS Scheme I (ISI mark) list (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Most useful for: Hostel · PG with meals · PG, no meals · Working PG

Shop: search Amazon.in for rechargeable torch or emergency lightAmazon.in search results. No commission is earned at present.

Sources

Products under Compulsory Certification (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Checked 26 October 2026.
BIS Standard Mark (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Checked 26 October 2026.
Products under Compulsory Certification: Scheme II (Compulsory Registration Scheme) (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Checked 26 October 2026.
About CRS (Compulsory Registration Scheme) (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Compulsory Registration Scheme portal. Checked 26 October 2026.
BIS Care App (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Checked 26 October 2026.
Products under Compulsory Certification: Scheme I (ISI mark) (opens in a new tab). Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Checked 26 October 2026.
Fire safety advisory for residential buildings, posted 2 June 2026 (opens in a new tab). Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services, Nagaland (published by DIPR Nagaland). Checked 26 October 2026.