As per 12th Schedule of the Constitution of India, urban planning including building plan approvals and enforcement of building bye-laws, is the function of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ Urban Development Authorities. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through schematic interventions/ advisories. The Government of India supplements the efforts of States and Union Territories through model regulations, technical standards, guidelines and advisories. The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has published Model Building Bye-laws (MBBL) – 2016 (https://www.mohua.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/07/0e33558a9326c8a89f945cae00cc3647.pdf), in which Chapter-6 deals with Provisions for Structural Safety, and lays down guidelines/standards relating to structural safety and seismic resilience of buildings.

Further, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, has formulated various standards relating to earthquake resistant design and construction of buildings and structures, and for seismic evaluation, repair and strengthening of buildings such as IS 1893 (Criteria for Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures), IS 4326:2013 (Earthquake resistant design and construction of buildings – Code of Practice (third revision) and other allied codes for adoption and enforcement by States/UTs and Urban Local Bodies as part of their building regulations.

Further, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has issued the National Disaster Management Guidelines on Management of Earthquakes, which provide guidance on earthquake risk reduction, including measures for safer construction, structural strengthening and retrofitting of buildings, particularly lifeline and critical infrastructure (https://ndma.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/Guidelines/earthquakes.pdf).

Regulation and enforcement relating to periodic structural and seismic safety audits, building inspection regimes and compliance requirements are within the domain of States/Union Territories (UTs) and ULBs.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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SK

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