A protective relay is required to satisfy four basic applicable functional characteristics: The relay should be reliable as a primary requirement. It must operate when it is required. (1) Selectivity: refers to that when the Electrical fault occurs, the relay protection device acts and only removes the fault element. Minimize the scope of power outages as much as possible to continue the operation of non faulty parts of the system. Divide into main protection and backup. This document discusses the fundamental requirements of protective relaying in power systems, emphasizing qualities such as selectivity, speed, sensitivity, reliability, simplicity, and economy. A protective relay is a device that monitors system conditions like amps, volts, etc.