India Unites: Government to Standardize Indian Time Across All Legal and Administrative Systems, Confirms Minister

In a significant move, the Indian government plans to make Indian Standard Time (IST) the official time for all legal and commercial activities. Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, shared this news during a recent conference themed “One Nation, One Time.”

The goal is to standardize time across various sectors, including finance, telecommunications, and transportation. By using IST consistently, the government aims to enhance accuracy, fairness, and national security.

This announcement comes as part of the Time Dissemination Project, which involves the collaboration of the Department of Consumer Affairs, CSIR-NPL, and ISRO. The project will create five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) across India equipped with atomic clocks. These labs will ensure that IST is accurate to within milliseconds. This move is particularly crucial as many sectors currently rely on foreign time sources, increasing the risk of cybersecurity issues like spoofing.

Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, emphasized the need for a secure and reliable timekeeping system for both strategic and everyday operations. The upcoming Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025, will make this synchronization legally binding, further supporting India’s efforts to establish greater autonomy in time management.

Interestingly, recent statistics show that 65% of businesses in India are unaware of the current risks associated with relying on foreign time sources. Converting to a unified system may not only help in mitigating risks but also ensure smooth operations across various industries.

During the roundtable, over 60 discussions were held with stakeholders in banking, energy, and transportation. Participants noted the importance of having a precise and trustworthy time standard for their operations.

In summary, adopting IST as the official time aims to improve digital transactions, utility billing, and overall efficiency in everyday services. This step reflects a commitment to enhancing India’s digital infrastructure while ensuring that operations are secure and reliable.

For more details on time standards and security, you can refer to the official report by CSIR-NPL.

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PRALHAD JOSHI, ONE NATION ONE TIME, IST, MANDATORY ONE NATION ONE TIME, ONE NATION, ONE TIME: CENTRE SET TO MAKE INDIAN STANDARD TIME MANDATORY