Yojana Magazine December 2022 - 3 | Monthly Yojana & Kurukshetra Magazine (English) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


40 YOJANA   December 2022
Factory-made EPS core panel and welded wire mesh 
reinforcement
Building skeleton made of factory-made  
EPS core panels
ndia on account of its unique geophysical 
setting is highly prone to earthquakes of 
varying intensities. The country has faced 
several devastating earthquakes in the past 
resulting in a large number of deaths and severe property 
damage. During the last century, five earthquakes 
measuring M8 or more struck different parts of the 
country. In recent years damaging earthquakes had been 
experienced in different parts of the country.
Seismic Zoning
The country has been classified into different zones 
indicating the intensity of damage or frequency of 
earthquake occurrences. These zoning maps indicate 
broadly the seismic coefficient that could generally be 
adopted for the design of buildings in different parts of 
the country. These maps are based on subjective estimates 
of intensity from available information on earthquake 
occurrence, geology, and tectonics of the country. The 
Indian seismic zoning is a continuous process that 
keeps undergoing changes as more and more data on the 
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
Considering the recorded history of earthquakes in 
the country, seismologists have classified 59% of the 
land mass of India as prone to earthquakes of different 
magnitudes– 11% in very high-risk Zone V, 18% in 
high-risk Zone IV, and 30% in moderate-risk Zone III. 
Guwahati and Srinagar are located in Seismic Zone V, 
Earthquake-Resistant Construction
I
while the national capital of Delhi is in Zone IV, and the 
mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are in Zone 
III. 38 cities with a population of half a million and above 
each and a combined population of a million are located 
in these three regions.
Multi-storeys constructed with thermocol could be the 
future earthquake-resistant buildings
Thermocol could be the material of the future for 
the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings, 
with thermal insulation, and could also save energy 
required to develop construction materials. Researchers 
at IIT Roorkee have found that thermocol or Expanded 
Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in 
the core of reinforced concrete sandwich, could resist 
earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The 
researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of 
wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched 
between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic 
Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of Earthquake 
Engineering, IIT Roorkee, developed under the Fund for 
Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme 
of Department of Science & Technology (DST), 
Government of India. 
Besides resisting earthquakes, the use of an expanded 
polystyrene core in the concrete walls of a building 
can result in thermal comfort. The core provides the 
necessary insulation against the heat transfer between 
Do YoU KNow?
Page 2


40 YOJANA   December 2022
Factory-made EPS core panel and welded wire mesh 
reinforcement
Building skeleton made of factory-made  
EPS core panels
ndia on account of its unique geophysical 
setting is highly prone to earthquakes of 
varying intensities. The country has faced 
several devastating earthquakes in the past 
resulting in a large number of deaths and severe property 
damage. During the last century, five earthquakes 
measuring M8 or more struck different parts of the 
country. In recent years damaging earthquakes had been 
experienced in different parts of the country.
Seismic Zoning
The country has been classified into different zones 
indicating the intensity of damage or frequency of 
earthquake occurrences. These zoning maps indicate 
broadly the seismic coefficient that could generally be 
adopted for the design of buildings in different parts of 
the country. These maps are based on subjective estimates 
of intensity from available information on earthquake 
occurrence, geology, and tectonics of the country. The 
Indian seismic zoning is a continuous process that 
keeps undergoing changes as more and more data on the 
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
Considering the recorded history of earthquakes in 
the country, seismologists have classified 59% of the 
land mass of India as prone to earthquakes of different 
magnitudes– 11% in very high-risk Zone V, 18% in 
high-risk Zone IV, and 30% in moderate-risk Zone III. 
Guwahati and Srinagar are located in Seismic Zone V, 
Earthquake-Resistant Construction
I
while the national capital of Delhi is in Zone IV, and the 
mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are in Zone 
III. 38 cities with a population of half a million and above 
each and a combined population of a million are located 
in these three regions.
Multi-storeys constructed with thermocol could be the 
future earthquake-resistant buildings
Thermocol could be the material of the future for 
the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings, 
with thermal insulation, and could also save energy 
required to develop construction materials. Researchers 
at IIT Roorkee have found that thermocol or Expanded 
Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in 
the core of reinforced concrete sandwich, could resist 
earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The 
researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of 
wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched 
between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic 
Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of Earthquake 
Engineering, IIT Roorkee, developed under the Fund for 
Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme 
of Department of Science & Technology (DST), 
Government of India. 
Besides resisting earthquakes, the use of an expanded 
polystyrene core in the concrete walls of a building 
can result in thermal comfort. The core provides the 
necessary insulation against the heat transfer between 
Do YoU KNow?
YOJANA   December 2022 41
the extremely lightweight EPS not only reduces mass, 
thereby decreasing the earthquake force acting on a building 
but also diminishes the burden on the natural resources and 
energy required to produce the cement concrete. 
Retrofitting non-earthquake-resistant buildings
Researchers have found a solution for retrofitting 
old non-earthquake-resistant buildings with a technology 
that can prevent major damage to such buildings from 
earthquakes without compromising their strength. The 
technology called semi-confined unreinforced brick 
masonry (SC-URBM) can resolve the problem of the 
spread of settlements in earthquake-prone areas with 
constructions that have been built without following 
earthquake-preventive building codes. This technology 
for strengthening existing URBM buildings is not only 
architecturally aesthetic but can also be implemented 
easily by locally-available manpower.                            ?
Source: NIDM, PIB
Spraying and pouring of concrete over the EPS core skeleton and finished building model
Seismic zonation and intensity map of India
the building’s interior and 
exterior environment. This 
can help in keeping the 
building interiors cool in 
hot environments and warm 
during cold conditions. India 
suffers a large variation of 
temperature in different parts 
of the country and during 
different seasons of the year. 
Therefore, thermal comfort 
is a crucial consideration 
along with structural safety.
The technology also 
has the potential of saving 
construction materials and 
energy, with an overall 
reduction in the carbon 
footprint of buildings. It 
replaces a large portion of 
concrete volume from the 
walls and floor/roof. This 
replacement of concrete with 
Page 3


40 YOJANA   December 2022
Factory-made EPS core panel and welded wire mesh 
reinforcement
Building skeleton made of factory-made  
EPS core panels
ndia on account of its unique geophysical 
setting is highly prone to earthquakes of 
varying intensities. The country has faced 
several devastating earthquakes in the past 
resulting in a large number of deaths and severe property 
damage. During the last century, five earthquakes 
measuring M8 or more struck different parts of the 
country. In recent years damaging earthquakes had been 
experienced in different parts of the country.
Seismic Zoning
The country has been classified into different zones 
indicating the intensity of damage or frequency of 
earthquake occurrences. These zoning maps indicate 
broadly the seismic coefficient that could generally be 
adopted for the design of buildings in different parts of 
the country. These maps are based on subjective estimates 
of intensity from available information on earthquake 
occurrence, geology, and tectonics of the country. The 
Indian seismic zoning is a continuous process that 
keeps undergoing changes as more and more data on the 
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
Considering the recorded history of earthquakes in 
the country, seismologists have classified 59% of the 
land mass of India as prone to earthquakes of different 
magnitudes– 11% in very high-risk Zone V, 18% in 
high-risk Zone IV, and 30% in moderate-risk Zone III. 
Guwahati and Srinagar are located in Seismic Zone V, 
Earthquake-Resistant Construction
I
while the national capital of Delhi is in Zone IV, and the 
mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are in Zone 
III. 38 cities with a population of half a million and above 
each and a combined population of a million are located 
in these three regions.
Multi-storeys constructed with thermocol could be the 
future earthquake-resistant buildings
Thermocol could be the material of the future for 
the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings, 
with thermal insulation, and could also save energy 
required to develop construction materials. Researchers 
at IIT Roorkee have found that thermocol or Expanded 
Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in 
the core of reinforced concrete sandwich, could resist 
earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The 
researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of 
wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched 
between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic 
Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of Earthquake 
Engineering, IIT Roorkee, developed under the Fund for 
Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme 
of Department of Science & Technology (DST), 
Government of India. 
Besides resisting earthquakes, the use of an expanded 
polystyrene core in the concrete walls of a building 
can result in thermal comfort. The core provides the 
necessary insulation against the heat transfer between 
Do YoU KNow?
YOJANA   December 2022 41
the extremely lightweight EPS not only reduces mass, 
thereby decreasing the earthquake force acting on a building 
but also diminishes the burden on the natural resources and 
energy required to produce the cement concrete. 
Retrofitting non-earthquake-resistant buildings
Researchers have found a solution for retrofitting 
old non-earthquake-resistant buildings with a technology 
that can prevent major damage to such buildings from 
earthquakes without compromising their strength. The 
technology called semi-confined unreinforced brick 
masonry (SC-URBM) can resolve the problem of the 
spread of settlements in earthquake-prone areas with 
constructions that have been built without following 
earthquake-preventive building codes. This technology 
for strengthening existing URBM buildings is not only 
architecturally aesthetic but can also be implemented 
easily by locally-available manpower.                            ?
Source: NIDM, PIB
Spraying and pouring of concrete over the EPS core skeleton and finished building model
Seismic zonation and intensity map of India
the building’s interior and 
exterior environment. This 
can help in keeping the 
building interiors cool in 
hot environments and warm 
during cold conditions. India 
suffers a large variation of 
temperature in different parts 
of the country and during 
different seasons of the year. 
Therefore, thermal comfort 
is a crucial consideration 
along with structural safety.
The technology also 
has the potential of saving 
construction materials and 
energy, with an overall 
reduction in the carbon 
footprint of buildings. It 
replaces a large portion of 
concrete volume from the 
walls and floor/roof. This 
replacement of concrete with 
YOJANA   December 2022 43
AccessIBILItY
In a heterogeneous society, the goal of every state is to provide equal access to its citizens. When 
it comes to physical-public domain design, infrastructure for persons with disabilities assumes 
another dimension of architecture. It has certain implications from the special-need quotient 
of demography, and disability as an asocial construct. The international community is building 
competencies for delivering quality governance on universal designs. India too has initiated 
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan as a credible step towards sustainable goals in universal designs. 
Universal Public Designs
Dr Jithendran S
The author is an Assistant Professor in Commerce and Research Supervisor at Govt. Arts and Science College, Ambalapuzha, Kerala 
University and is visually challenged. Email: jithenair@gmail.com
An accessible corridor developed in Maulana Azad Medical College, 
Delhi for Persons with Visual Impairment.
iversity is everywhere, be it in culture, 
language, climate, topography, gender and 
abilities of people; inclusion stands for 
giving freedom for access for all and building 
commonalities. When it comes to residential space, the 
requirements of people vary as per their taste, economic 
means, and functional requirements. But, most of the 
times housing solutions are standardised for common users 
and not for special needs. There is a standard approach 
for building residential space which traditionally does 
not focus people with special needs. But when it comes 
to physical public domain design it assumes another 
dimension of architecture. It has certain implications for 
the vision of a country on development, accountability 
in the use of state’s budgeted funds, and the special need 
quotient of demography. When administrators consider 
people with all kind of abilities and their accessibility 
issues while building public utilities and spaces, it can be 
coined as universal design. Universal or inclusive design 
provides for a holistic approach in designing public spaces 
and utilities. 
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons 
with Disabilities (UNCRPD) inspires and focuses on 
universal design. It highlights the sovereign government’s 
responsibility to make improvements since accessibility is 
a right. Member States are responsible for systematically 
removing obstacles and creating inclusive solutions 
for everyone, irrespective of their functional capacity, 
characteristics and preferences (Maria, 2018). When we 
look at those countries with high living standards and 
quality of life, universal design certainly forms a modality 
D
for indexing in terms of life quality. Nordic countries 
for instance and universal design is a good example of 
vision for inclusive growth. There are three vital aspects 
of inclusive designs in any situation. One is the social 
responsibility or commitment of the entity that evolves 
strategies for inclusion. Secondly, the reward to such 
organisations which initiate such changes, and finally, the 
sustainability of such initiatives.  
Challenges 
A major challenge in implementing such changes is 
on emphasising the value of such indicatives at the policy 
level and at the execution level. Inclusive design is about 
Page 4


40 YOJANA   December 2022
Factory-made EPS core panel and welded wire mesh 
reinforcement
Building skeleton made of factory-made  
EPS core panels
ndia on account of its unique geophysical 
setting is highly prone to earthquakes of 
varying intensities. The country has faced 
several devastating earthquakes in the past 
resulting in a large number of deaths and severe property 
damage. During the last century, five earthquakes 
measuring M8 or more struck different parts of the 
country. In recent years damaging earthquakes had been 
experienced in different parts of the country.
Seismic Zoning
The country has been classified into different zones 
indicating the intensity of damage or frequency of 
earthquake occurrences. These zoning maps indicate 
broadly the seismic coefficient that could generally be 
adopted for the design of buildings in different parts of 
the country. These maps are based on subjective estimates 
of intensity from available information on earthquake 
occurrence, geology, and tectonics of the country. The 
Indian seismic zoning is a continuous process that 
keeps undergoing changes as more and more data on the 
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
Considering the recorded history of earthquakes in 
the country, seismologists have classified 59% of the 
land mass of India as prone to earthquakes of different 
magnitudes– 11% in very high-risk Zone V, 18% in 
high-risk Zone IV, and 30% in moderate-risk Zone III. 
Guwahati and Srinagar are located in Seismic Zone V, 
Earthquake-Resistant Construction
I
while the national capital of Delhi is in Zone IV, and the 
mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are in Zone 
III. 38 cities with a population of half a million and above 
each and a combined population of a million are located 
in these three regions.
Multi-storeys constructed with thermocol could be the 
future earthquake-resistant buildings
Thermocol could be the material of the future for 
the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings, 
with thermal insulation, and could also save energy 
required to develop construction materials. Researchers 
at IIT Roorkee have found that thermocol or Expanded 
Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in 
the core of reinforced concrete sandwich, could resist 
earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The 
researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of 
wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched 
between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic 
Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of Earthquake 
Engineering, IIT Roorkee, developed under the Fund for 
Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme 
of Department of Science & Technology (DST), 
Government of India. 
Besides resisting earthquakes, the use of an expanded 
polystyrene core in the concrete walls of a building 
can result in thermal comfort. The core provides the 
necessary insulation against the heat transfer between 
Do YoU KNow?
YOJANA   December 2022 41
the extremely lightweight EPS not only reduces mass, 
thereby decreasing the earthquake force acting on a building 
but also diminishes the burden on the natural resources and 
energy required to produce the cement concrete. 
Retrofitting non-earthquake-resistant buildings
Researchers have found a solution for retrofitting 
old non-earthquake-resistant buildings with a technology 
that can prevent major damage to such buildings from 
earthquakes without compromising their strength. The 
technology called semi-confined unreinforced brick 
masonry (SC-URBM) can resolve the problem of the 
spread of settlements in earthquake-prone areas with 
constructions that have been built without following 
earthquake-preventive building codes. This technology 
for strengthening existing URBM buildings is not only 
architecturally aesthetic but can also be implemented 
easily by locally-available manpower.                            ?
Source: NIDM, PIB
Spraying and pouring of concrete over the EPS core skeleton and finished building model
Seismic zonation and intensity map of India
the building’s interior and 
exterior environment. This 
can help in keeping the 
building interiors cool in 
hot environments and warm 
during cold conditions. India 
suffers a large variation of 
temperature in different parts 
of the country and during 
different seasons of the year. 
Therefore, thermal comfort 
is a crucial consideration 
along with structural safety.
The technology also 
has the potential of saving 
construction materials and 
energy, with an overall 
reduction in the carbon 
footprint of buildings. It 
replaces a large portion of 
concrete volume from the 
walls and floor/roof. This 
replacement of concrete with 
YOJANA   December 2022 43
AccessIBILItY
In a heterogeneous society, the goal of every state is to provide equal access to its citizens. When 
it comes to physical-public domain design, infrastructure for persons with disabilities assumes 
another dimension of architecture. It has certain implications from the special-need quotient 
of demography, and disability as an asocial construct. The international community is building 
competencies for delivering quality governance on universal designs. India too has initiated 
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan as a credible step towards sustainable goals in universal designs. 
Universal Public Designs
Dr Jithendran S
The author is an Assistant Professor in Commerce and Research Supervisor at Govt. Arts and Science College, Ambalapuzha, Kerala 
University and is visually challenged. Email: jithenair@gmail.com
An accessible corridor developed in Maulana Azad Medical College, 
Delhi for Persons with Visual Impairment.
iversity is everywhere, be it in culture, 
language, climate, topography, gender and 
abilities of people; inclusion stands for 
giving freedom for access for all and building 
commonalities. When it comes to residential space, the 
requirements of people vary as per their taste, economic 
means, and functional requirements. But, most of the 
times housing solutions are standardised for common users 
and not for special needs. There is a standard approach 
for building residential space which traditionally does 
not focus people with special needs. But when it comes 
to physical public domain design it assumes another 
dimension of architecture. It has certain implications for 
the vision of a country on development, accountability 
in the use of state’s budgeted funds, and the special need 
quotient of demography. When administrators consider 
people with all kind of abilities and their accessibility 
issues while building public utilities and spaces, it can be 
coined as universal design. Universal or inclusive design 
provides for a holistic approach in designing public spaces 
and utilities. 
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons 
with Disabilities (UNCRPD) inspires and focuses on 
universal design. It highlights the sovereign government’s 
responsibility to make improvements since accessibility is 
a right. Member States are responsible for systematically 
removing obstacles and creating inclusive solutions 
for everyone, irrespective of their functional capacity, 
characteristics and preferences (Maria, 2018). When we 
look at those countries with high living standards and 
quality of life, universal design certainly forms a modality 
D
for indexing in terms of life quality. Nordic countries 
for instance and universal design is a good example of 
vision for inclusive growth. There are three vital aspects 
of inclusive designs in any situation. One is the social 
responsibility or commitment of the entity that evolves 
strategies for inclusion. Secondly, the reward to such 
organisations which initiate such changes, and finally, the 
sustainability of such initiatives.  
Challenges 
A major challenge in implementing such changes is 
on emphasising the value of such indicatives at the policy 
level and at the execution level. Inclusive design is about 
44 YOJANA   December 2022
placing people at the heart of the designing process, it 
is about creating buildings and spaces, streets, public 
parks, gardens,etc., that are really comfortable and easy 
for all of us to use. Another challenge in providing 
for inclusive architecture is that the people who are 
working at various capacities in construction are, no 
doubt, experts in their fields but they lack knowledge 
about the whole structure, and issues of accessibility 
fail to bring those minute changes at their ends for 
universal designs. Sugamya Bharat has been formulated 
by considering all possible lacunae. The country with 
such diverse structure demands a systemic approach to 
tackle the existing challenges.
Approaches and Principles 
In 1997, a team of architects and designers from North 
California State University created a set of principles for a 
universal design. To understand the suitability of piece of 
architecture as universally designed, these principles can 
be used as a test for suitability. 
1. A piece of architecture should provide an equitable 
use for every person irrespective of their differential 
ability.
2. A piece of architecture should possess a quality of 
flexibility in use.
3. A piece of architecture must have the quality— Simple 
and intuitive use.
4. A piece of architecture should have perceptible 
information and its layout.
5. A piece of architecture should possess the quality of 
tolerating for errors. If people commit mistakes due 
to their disability.
6. A piece of architecture should possess the quality of 
usage or access should demand low physical effort.
7. A piece of architecture should possess adequate size 
and space for use.
Implications 
While looking at a strategic approach for engaging 
a universal design for system problems, a time-phased 
systematic approach is suggested.
In all the domains of public work, an integrated 
approach by incorporating the end users’ feedback can 
deliver quality of governance to people with differential 
abilities. Most importantly, reward for such initiatives 
of universal designs should be given to build public 
consciousness. 
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
On 3 December 2015 i.e., World Disability Day, 
the Govt. of India launched Accessible India Campaign 
as a country-wide campaign for achieving universal 
accessibility for Persons with Disabilities. It has three 
important components including the build environment, 
transportation sector, and the ICT ecosystem. 
Built Environment Accessibility
An accessible physical environment benefits 
everyone, not just persons with disabilities. Measures are 
taken to eliminate obstacles and barriers to indoor and 
outdoor facilities including schools, medical facilities, and 
workplaces. Further, these would include all public spaces 
such as roads, footpaths, parks and gardens, etc. 
Disabled-friendly parking in Pune, Maharashtra
Basis of Universal Designs
Delivering 
the architecture 
solution with 
sustainable 
administration
Developing 
an architecture 
solution with 
expectations from 
end users
Definition of 
alternatives and 
experience of 
special users
Discovering  
the real  
exclusion in 
architecture
Page 5


40 YOJANA   December 2022
Factory-made EPS core panel and welded wire mesh 
reinforcement
Building skeleton made of factory-made  
EPS core panels
ndia on account of its unique geophysical 
setting is highly prone to earthquakes of 
varying intensities. The country has faced 
several devastating earthquakes in the past 
resulting in a large number of deaths and severe property 
damage. During the last century, five earthquakes 
measuring M8 or more struck different parts of the 
country. In recent years damaging earthquakes had been 
experienced in different parts of the country.
Seismic Zoning
The country has been classified into different zones 
indicating the intensity of damage or frequency of 
earthquake occurrences. These zoning maps indicate 
broadly the seismic coefficient that could generally be 
adopted for the design of buildings in different parts of 
the country. These maps are based on subjective estimates 
of intensity from available information on earthquake 
occurrence, geology, and tectonics of the country. The 
Indian seismic zoning is a continuous process that 
keeps undergoing changes as more and more data on the 
occurrence of earthquakes becomes available.
Considering the recorded history of earthquakes in 
the country, seismologists have classified 59% of the 
land mass of India as prone to earthquakes of different 
magnitudes– 11% in very high-risk Zone V, 18% in 
high-risk Zone IV, and 30% in moderate-risk Zone III. 
Guwahati and Srinagar are located in Seismic Zone V, 
Earthquake-Resistant Construction
I
while the national capital of Delhi is in Zone IV, and the 
mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are in Zone 
III. 38 cities with a population of half a million and above 
each and a combined population of a million are located 
in these three regions.
Multi-storeys constructed with thermocol could be the 
future earthquake-resistant buildings
Thermocol could be the material of the future for 
the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings, 
with thermal insulation, and could also save energy 
required to develop construction materials. Researchers 
at IIT Roorkee have found that thermocol or Expanded 
Polystyrene (EPS) is used as a composite material in 
the core of reinforced concrete sandwich, could resist 
earthquake forces on up to four-storey buildings. The 
researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of 
wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched 
between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic 
Test Facility (NSTF) of the Department of Earthquake 
Engineering, IIT Roorkee, developed under the Fund for 
Improvement of S&T Infrastructure (FIST) programme 
of Department of Science & Technology (DST), 
Government of India. 
Besides resisting earthquakes, the use of an expanded 
polystyrene core in the concrete walls of a building 
can result in thermal comfort. The core provides the 
necessary insulation against the heat transfer between 
Do YoU KNow?
YOJANA   December 2022 41
the extremely lightweight EPS not only reduces mass, 
thereby decreasing the earthquake force acting on a building 
but also diminishes the burden on the natural resources and 
energy required to produce the cement concrete. 
Retrofitting non-earthquake-resistant buildings
Researchers have found a solution for retrofitting 
old non-earthquake-resistant buildings with a technology 
that can prevent major damage to such buildings from 
earthquakes without compromising their strength. The 
technology called semi-confined unreinforced brick 
masonry (SC-URBM) can resolve the problem of the 
spread of settlements in earthquake-prone areas with 
constructions that have been built without following 
earthquake-preventive building codes. This technology 
for strengthening existing URBM buildings is not only 
architecturally aesthetic but can also be implemented 
easily by locally-available manpower.                            ?
Source: NIDM, PIB
Spraying and pouring of concrete over the EPS core skeleton and finished building model
Seismic zonation and intensity map of India
the building’s interior and 
exterior environment. This 
can help in keeping the 
building interiors cool in 
hot environments and warm 
during cold conditions. India 
suffers a large variation of 
temperature in different parts 
of the country and during 
different seasons of the year. 
Therefore, thermal comfort 
is a crucial consideration 
along with structural safety.
The technology also 
has the potential of saving 
construction materials and 
energy, with an overall 
reduction in the carbon 
footprint of buildings. It 
replaces a large portion of 
concrete volume from the 
walls and floor/roof. This 
replacement of concrete with 
YOJANA   December 2022 43
AccessIBILItY
In a heterogeneous society, the goal of every state is to provide equal access to its citizens. When 
it comes to physical-public domain design, infrastructure for persons with disabilities assumes 
another dimension of architecture. It has certain implications from the special-need quotient 
of demography, and disability as an asocial construct. The international community is building 
competencies for delivering quality governance on universal designs. India too has initiated 
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan as a credible step towards sustainable goals in universal designs. 
Universal Public Designs
Dr Jithendran S
The author is an Assistant Professor in Commerce and Research Supervisor at Govt. Arts and Science College, Ambalapuzha, Kerala 
University and is visually challenged. Email: jithenair@gmail.com
An accessible corridor developed in Maulana Azad Medical College, 
Delhi for Persons with Visual Impairment.
iversity is everywhere, be it in culture, 
language, climate, topography, gender and 
abilities of people; inclusion stands for 
giving freedom for access for all and building 
commonalities. When it comes to residential space, the 
requirements of people vary as per their taste, economic 
means, and functional requirements. But, most of the 
times housing solutions are standardised for common users 
and not for special needs. There is a standard approach 
for building residential space which traditionally does 
not focus people with special needs. But when it comes 
to physical public domain design it assumes another 
dimension of architecture. It has certain implications for 
the vision of a country on development, accountability 
in the use of state’s budgeted funds, and the special need 
quotient of demography. When administrators consider 
people with all kind of abilities and their accessibility 
issues while building public utilities and spaces, it can be 
coined as universal design. Universal or inclusive design 
provides for a holistic approach in designing public spaces 
and utilities. 
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons 
with Disabilities (UNCRPD) inspires and focuses on 
universal design. It highlights the sovereign government’s 
responsibility to make improvements since accessibility is 
a right. Member States are responsible for systematically 
removing obstacles and creating inclusive solutions 
for everyone, irrespective of their functional capacity, 
characteristics and preferences (Maria, 2018). When we 
look at those countries with high living standards and 
quality of life, universal design certainly forms a modality 
D
for indexing in terms of life quality. Nordic countries 
for instance and universal design is a good example of 
vision for inclusive growth. There are three vital aspects 
of inclusive designs in any situation. One is the social 
responsibility or commitment of the entity that evolves 
strategies for inclusion. Secondly, the reward to such 
organisations which initiate such changes, and finally, the 
sustainability of such initiatives.  
Challenges 
A major challenge in implementing such changes is 
on emphasising the value of such indicatives at the policy 
level and at the execution level. Inclusive design is about 
44 YOJANA   December 2022
placing people at the heart of the designing process, it 
is about creating buildings and spaces, streets, public 
parks, gardens,etc., that are really comfortable and easy 
for all of us to use. Another challenge in providing 
for inclusive architecture is that the people who are 
working at various capacities in construction are, no 
doubt, experts in their fields but they lack knowledge 
about the whole structure, and issues of accessibility 
fail to bring those minute changes at their ends for 
universal designs. Sugamya Bharat has been formulated 
by considering all possible lacunae. The country with 
such diverse structure demands a systemic approach to 
tackle the existing challenges.
Approaches and Principles 
In 1997, a team of architects and designers from North 
California State University created a set of principles for a 
universal design. To understand the suitability of piece of 
architecture as universally designed, these principles can 
be used as a test for suitability. 
1. A piece of architecture should provide an equitable 
use for every person irrespective of their differential 
ability.
2. A piece of architecture should possess a quality of 
flexibility in use.
3. A piece of architecture must have the quality— Simple 
and intuitive use.
4. A piece of architecture should have perceptible 
information and its layout.
5. A piece of architecture should possess the quality of 
tolerating for errors. If people commit mistakes due 
to their disability.
6. A piece of architecture should possess the quality of 
usage or access should demand low physical effort.
7. A piece of architecture should possess adequate size 
and space for use.
Implications 
While looking at a strategic approach for engaging 
a universal design for system problems, a time-phased 
systematic approach is suggested.
In all the domains of public work, an integrated 
approach by incorporating the end users’ feedback can 
deliver quality of governance to people with differential 
abilities. Most importantly, reward for such initiatives 
of universal designs should be given to build public 
consciousness. 
Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
On 3 December 2015 i.e., World Disability Day, 
the Govt. of India launched Accessible India Campaign 
as a country-wide campaign for achieving universal 
accessibility for Persons with Disabilities. It has three 
important components including the build environment, 
transportation sector, and the ICT ecosystem. 
Built Environment Accessibility
An accessible physical environment benefits 
everyone, not just persons with disabilities. Measures are 
taken to eliminate obstacles and barriers to indoor and 
outdoor facilities including schools, medical facilities, and 
workplaces. Further, these would include all public spaces 
such as roads, footpaths, parks and gardens, etc. 
Disabled-friendly parking in Pune, Maharashtra
Basis of Universal Designs
Delivering 
the architecture 
solution with 
sustainable 
administration
Developing 
an architecture 
solution with 
expectations from 
end users
Definition of 
alternatives and 
experience of 
special users
Discovering  
the real  
exclusion in 
architecture
YOJANA   December 2022 45
An accessible government 
building is one, where persons with 
disabilities have no barrier to entering 
it and use all the facilities therein. It 
covers the built environment – services, 
steps and ramps, corridors, entry gates, 
emergency exits, and parking, as well as 
indoor and outdoor facilities including 
lighting, signages, alarm systems, 
and toilets. The technical specificities 
are covered in ISO 2542:2011, 
Building Construction – Accessibility 
and Usability of the Built Environment, delineates a 
set of requirements and recommendations concerning 
construction, assembly, components, and fittings.
The programme directs that identifying accessible 
buildings requires annual accessibility audits that 
determine if a building meets agreed standards. 
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with 
Disabilities is working out a comprehensive code which 
will be a hitherto attempt in Indian context as the first step 
towards universal design, Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan has 
indeed made an affable attempt.  
Conclusion
Manmade physical environment is posing enormous 
pressure in the lives of persons with disabilities. Disability 
is largely viewed as a social construct, 
as such, the right to live independently 
is not a gesture of mercy rather, it is 
a natural claim of decent living. The 
present architecture designs ignore 
the presence of differential abilities of 
people. They struggle in inadequate 
lighting, uneven pavements, stumble 
at objects on their movements, pigeon-
hole doors and innumerable steps 
(for aesthetic appeal) cause point of 
accidents. To evolve a strategic action 
plan for architecture as universal design for our schools, 
colleges, street, parks, museums, railway station, airports 
public offices, etc. It must be conceived with a broader 
thought process. An egalitarian approach should be inducted 
to the mindset of designers and architects. Disability should 
be viewed as a persisting possible phenomenon for any 
demography. In exclusive architectural models, children or 
aged population could also be exposed to risky obstacles 
as it would do to disabled. Universal design will also 
indirectly help the state in soliciting the global community 
to enjoy the iconic tourist spots in India.                          ?
Reference
1. Maria Montefusco maria.montefusco@nordicwelfare.org 
Publisher: Ewa Persson Göransson
Measures are taken to eliminate 
obstacles and barriers to indoor 
and outdoor facilities including 
schools, medical facilities, and 
workplaces. Further, these would 
include all public spaces such 
as roads, footpaths, parks and 
gardens, etc.
YE-2127/2022