Jaipur, June 19 -- The Rajasthan government has introduced a comprehensive Fire Safety Framework-2026, removing restrictions that linked building heights to the ladder capacity of local fire departments, officials said. The new provisions, issued by the urban development and housing department in compliance with a budget announcement by chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, come amid growing concerns over fire accidents across the country and increasing scrutiny of fire safety standards in high-rise buildings. A significant change is that developers seeking fire No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) will no longer be constrained by the height of firefighting ladders. Instead, building approvals will be based on modern fire prevention and life-safety standards, a move expected to facilitate vertical urban development in cities where land availability is increasingly limited. The framework consolidates previously scattered fire safety regulations into a single code covering building design, fire-fighting equipment, emergency evacuation systems, life-safety measures and fire protection infrastructure. The government believes this will make the fire NOC process more transparent, predictable and time-bound. Developers and urban planners have often argued that dependence on locally available firefighting equipment created uncertainty in project approvals and limited the scope for high-rise construction. By shifting the focus to internationally accepted safety standards and in-building fire protection systems, the state hopes to encourage investment while maintaining safety compliance. The new code directs all urban local bodies to process fire NOCs and related approvals under the revised framework. Officials described the initiative as a transition from a reactive firefighting approach to a preventive safety model focused on risk reduction and preparedness....