Week of 2 November 2026 · 11 items
BIS / NBCS 2026
Effective 30 Apr 2026
BIS notified SP 7:2026 on 30 April 2026, simultaneously withdrawing NBC 2016 with no overlap period. The document shifts from a prescriptive 'Code' to a performance-oriented 'Standard' across six parts (A–F), and is voluntary at BIS level — enforceable only when adopted through state/local bye-laws.
Security UpdateBIS / NBCS 2026
Effective 30 Apr 2026
Under NBC 2016, buildings above 15 m attracted full high-rise fire safety requirements; NBCS 2026 raises this threshold to 24 m, a significant relaxation that has triggered debate among fire safety professionals and regulators.
ANPC PMCBIS / NBCS 2026
Effective 30 Apr 2026
The new standard condenses the earlier 12-part structure into six parts: A (Introduction), B (Building Materials), C (Structural Design), D (Building Services), E (Plumbing Services), and F (Fire and Life Safety). FAR, height limits and parking standards have been stripped from the national standard and left entirely to state/local bye-laws.
FlamekiteMoHUA / RERA
Advisory issued Aug–Sep 2026
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has directed all state RERAsto consider a four-month extension in registration and completion timelines for projects whose completion date falls on or after 28 February 2026. Implementation rests with each state RERA under Section 6 force-majeure provisions.
BW BusinessworldMoHUA
Effective Jul 2026
In July 2026 the Union Government split MoHUA into the Department of Capital Development (Delhi/NCR-focused) and the Department of Urban Development (national urban policy, PMAY-U, AMRUT, HUDCO, NIUA). Architects working on central-government commissions should verify which department now holds jurisdiction over their project type.
APAC News NetworkMoHUA / PMAY
Oct 2026
MoHUA celebrated World Habitat Day 2026 under the theme 'Adequate Housing for All', felicitating best-performing states under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0, and running technical sessions on bridging the affordable-housing demand–supply gap and scaling rental housing for urban migrants and workers.
PIBCompetition / Students
Registration closes 15 Dec 2026; Submissions by 22 Dec 2026
India's largest architecture-and-design student competition (organised by Saint-Gobain in association with Ethos) has opened its 21st edition; registrations are open from 12 August 2026 and close on 15 December 2026, with submission deadline 22 December 2026. Regional juries: 8–10 February 2027; National Finale: early March 2027.
Transparence.in (official)CoA
Academic session 2026–27
The Council of Architecture has notified an extension of the last date for admissions to B.Arch, M.Arch and Diploma programmes at architectural institutions across India for the academic session 2026–27. Institutions and candidates should check the official COA notice for the final cut-off date.
Council of Architecture (official)BIS / NBCS 2026
2026
A detailed analysis of the regulatory, practical and life-safety implications of India's shift from NBC 2016 to NBCS 2026 — essential reading for any architect working on buildings near the 15–24 m zone.
Security UpdateBIS / Technical
Oct 2026
Technical deep-dive on how NBCS 2026 moves India to a performance-oriented framework for fire resistance and thermal insulation — with direct comparisons on passive fire protection, EV charging provisions, and solar PV requirements now introduced for the first time.
Wedge InsulationRERA / Practice
Aug–Sep 2026
Covers the MoHUA West Asia force-majeure advisory, Maharashtra RERA's ruling that developers must refund clubhouse charges if the amenity is not built, and UP RERA consumer-protection observations — all in one concise newsletter brief.
HT Newsletters / Substack