Civil Engineers' Associations and professional engineering bodies across India have strongly opposed the proposed restructuring of the National Building Code (NBC) 2025 into the National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026, warning that the move could weaken India's building safety framework and compromise public welfare.
The engineering fraternity argues that the existing NBC serves as a comprehensive national framework covering planning, structural design, fire and life safety, accessibility, sustainability, building services, maintenance, and disaster resilience. Fragmenting this integrated code into separate standards, they say, could create confusion, reduce accountability, and adversely affect implementation.
The concerns come in the wake of recent fire tragedies in Delhi, Muzaffarpur, Hyderabad, and other cities, which have highlighted the importance of stringent safety regulations and professional oversight. Engineers fear that converting several mandatory provisions, particularly those related to fire and life safety, into advisory guidelines could increase risks to citizens and weaken enforcement mechanisms.
The associations have urged the Government of India and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to withdraw the restructuring proposal, restore NBC 2025 as a unified national code, and retain all mandatory safety provisions. They have also called for extensive consultations with civil engineers, fire safety experts, academia, and industry stakeholders before introducing major regulatory reforms.
"Safe Buildings, Safe Citizens, Safe Nation" remains the collective message of India's engineering community.