Govt Updates Building Code, Keeps Fire Safety Provisions Advisory
NEW DELHI: The government has officially replaced the National Building Code (NBC) with the National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) as of Thursday. This shift comes after directives from the Deregulation Cell under the Cabinet Secretariat. The new standards aim to provide guidelines rather than enforceable rules. According to sources, a primary reason for this change was that the previous code, while voluntary, implied legal obligations due to its terminology, leading to numerous court cases. Although the Deregulation Cell had initially suggested excluding the “fire and life safety” section from the standards, it was included in NBCS following significant pressure from…