Standardised Development and Building Regulations, 2023

Context (PIB I ETR): The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued ‘Standardised Development and Building Regulations, 2023′.
SDBR are aligned with the National Building Code of India 2016 (NBC 2016) and draws inspiration from global best practices.
These regulations will act as model-building regulations for the states and UTs.
States can revise their regulations as per the model regulation.
The building regulations vary from one state to another. However, there are some regulations which are standard across the country.
The model regulation simplifies those regulations for uniform adoption.
These regulations give a comprehensive framework to ensure safety, accessibility, and sustainability in construction.
Model building regulation will benefit all stakeholders, especially tier II and III cities facing a shortage of architects and building professionals.
The model regulation also covers new-age concepts such as
1. EV charging stations,
2. Wind electricity generators,
3. Transferable development rights,
4. Transit-oriented development,
5. High-security areas, and
6. Retirement homes.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

BIS initially came into existence by enactment of the act in 1986.
A new act (to replace the BIS Act of 1986) was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2015; The new act came into force in 2017.
BIS Act 2016 establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as India’s national standards body.
BIS is a statutory body.
It is regulated under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in several ways:
1. Providing safe, reliable, quality goods.
2. Minimizing health hazards to consumers.
3. Promoting exports and imports substitutes.
4. Control the proliferation of varieties through standardisation, certification and testing.

The Act allows multiple types of simplified conformity assessment schemes, including self-declaration of conformity.
The Act enables the GoI to appoint any authority/agency, besides the BIS, to verify the conformity of products and services with the established standard and issue a certificate of conformity.
The Act provides enabling provisions for mandating the hallmarking of precious metal articles.
There is a provision for repair or recall of the products (bearing Standard Mark) that do not conform to the relevant Indian Standard.
The Act allows the GoI to make it compulsory for certain notified goods, processes, articles, etc., to carry the standard mark
1. In the public interest,
2. The safety of the environment and national security, or
3. To prevent unfair trade practices.
The Act has identified new areas for standardisation. These include:
1. Medical devices
2. Alternate fuels
3. Smart cities
4. E-mobility
5. New and renewable energy
6. Digital technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, Blockchain, etc.)
The Act also prescribes penalties for the following points:
1. The improper use of the standard mark by testing and marking centres.
2. Manufacturing or selling goods & articles that do not carry a standard mark and have been mandated to do so, etc.

It is a national instrument providing guidelines for regulating building construction activities.
It serves as a Model Code for adoption by all agencies involved in building construction work, whether Public Works Departments, local bodies, or private construction agencies.
The BIS publishes the National Building Code of India, a recommendatory document.
It was 1^st published in 1970 at the instance of the Planning Commission and then first revised in 1983.
The second revision of the Code was in 2005, and two amendments were issued in 2015.
Under the Code, all existing & new buildings are classified by nature of use, such as residential, educational, assembly (like cinemas, auditoria), business, mercantile, industrial, storage and hazardous.