Laws are enactments of legislature and enjoys the legitimacy of backing from the state. Laws are sacrosanct and their violation can be prosecuted in court of law.
Generally speaking laws are reflection of societal ethics that are codified and laid down for enforcement.
Rules are subordinate legislation and enjoy the same enforceability as law. Law by nature can not be comprehensive and cover all the possible situations. So every law contains a provision for making rules necessary for its implementation.
The rule–making powers are with government’s executive branch. Rules cannot go beyond the law and are subject to ratification of legislature.
Regulations are directives that are formed in context of any particular situation. The term ‘regulation’ refers nowadays to regulations which regulatory authorities – like Central Electricity Regulatory Commission – issue for regulating a particular sector like power, insurance or telecom.
