One Nation, One Time: Govt Mandates Indian Standard Time

The Indian government has proposed a plan to standardize time nationwide. The Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules 2024 say that Indian Standard Time (IST) must be used for all government and business activities.

This report is part of the government’s effort to keep accurate time in key areas. These include telecom, banking, defense, 5G, and artificial intelligence, among others.

Major components of the draft rules include:

• Only Indian Standard Time (IST) can be used for government and business activities. Other time codes are not allowed.
• Mandatory showing of IST in government offices and public institutions.
• Time-synchronization methods must be dependable, accessible, and safe.
• Astronomy, navigation, and scientific study can happen freely if the government gives approval first.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is partnering with the National Physical Laboratory and ISRO. They aim to create a better way to generate and share time. Violating the proposed rules will lead to penalties. Periodic audits will also be done to ensure compliance in all sectors.

The draft rules are now available for public stakeholders. They can share comments and suggestions until February 14, 2025. This will standardize timekeeping in India. As a result, it will improve accuracy. This change will boost efficiency and reliability in many sectors.

On June 1, 2025, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. They did this after getting feedback from stakeholders. It was due by February 14. All government departments, banks, and telecom companies must use synchronized IST from approved sources. This deadline is December 31, 2025. The National Physical Laboratory, along with ISRO, will be the main source of official time signals. A phased rollout plan and compliance guidelines for each sector will be out by July 2025.