India, where 59 % of land area is classified as highly vulnerable to earthquake, going to have, for the first time, a stringent set of construction guidelines intended to improve seismic safety. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has cleared a set of Earthquake Guidelines, which will be announced shortly. All state governments and Ministries will have to frame a Disaster Management plan on the basis of these guidelines.