India has had a rich historical account of seismic occurrences. However, our response to such events in the past has not been much effective in mitigating the dangers to society. Non-Adherence to seismic codes, sporadic revision practices and asynchronous provisions regarding materials and advancements in the market were barriers to earthquake-resistant building practices. We did case studies for three major earthquakes in the last three decades. We observed a similar pattern of practices and damages across the three earthquake occurrences. It was evident that very little change in the operations was noticed in each case. Incompliance with guidelines, the involvement of an inexpert workforce in building projects, and a weak system of checks and inspections led to huge losses as witnessed. We can prevent the large-scale damages witnessed after the onset of seismic events by using correct scientific and engineering principles. Through the active interest of the government and state regulatory bodies and the introduction of strict legal guidelines, our country's building infrastructure could perform better in response to seismic waves. This study presents a comprehensive study of the issues associated with earthquake mitigation strategies in India. We have discussed the far-reaching rationales for the associated damage and disruption of the system due to such calamities. Further, the socio-political reasons for the weak legal infrastructure, a section on the much-hyped Engineers Bill and other practical discussions and suggestions have been presented in this study.