Why in the News?
The Government of India has mandated the use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all legal, commercial, digital, and administrative sectors.
About Indian Standard Time (IST):
- It is the official time zone of India, set at Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) +5:30 and based on the 82.5° E longitude passing through Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
- Neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka also use the same UTC+5:30 offset.
- IST meridian passes through 5 Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
- It was established in 1906, replacing older regional time zones like Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras Time.
- It is maintained by the National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) using ultra-precise atomic clocks, which lose only one second in millions of years.
- India does NOT observe daylight saving time; IST remains constant throughout the year.
Back2Basics:
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT):
- GMT is the mean solar time at the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) located at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.
- It was established in 1884 during the International Meridian Conference as the world’s time standard.
- It is based on astronomical observations, specifically the mean position of the Sun over time.
- It does not change with the seasons and does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).
- Although now largely replaced by UTC in scientific and civil contexts, GMT is still used in some regions (e.g., the UK during winter months).
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC):
- UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time.
- It was established in 1960 and is maintained by a network of high-precision atomic clocks worldwide.
- UTC is adjusted periodically by leap seconds to compensate for the Earth’s irregular rotation speed.
- It is used in aviation, computing, space science, and by international organisations like the UN and ITU.
- Unlike GMT, which is purely solar-based, UTC combines atomic time (TAI) with occasional corrections for Earth’s rotation.
IST in Context:
- IST = GMT + 5:30
- IST = UTC + 5:30
|
Steps to Implement One Nation, One Time:
[1] Time Dissemination Project:
- It is a government initiative to ensure accurate, synchronised, and secure timekeeping across India.
- It is led by the Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO.
- Five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) are being established in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati.
- These labs use atomic clocks and protocols like Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to maintain accuracy within microseconds.
[2] Legal Metrology (IST) Rules, 2025: Key Provisions
- Mandatory Use of IST: IST, as maintained by CSIR-NPL, becomes the sole legally recognized time standard in India.
- Prohibition of Foreign Time Sources: Use of foreign systems like GPS time will be banned unless specifically approved by the government.
- Sync Requirements: All government bodies, financial institutions, power grids, and telecom operators must synchronize their systems with IST.
- Audit and Compliance: The system will be monitored through periodic audits and penalties will be imposed for violations.
- Special Exemptions: Activities such as scientific research, astronomy, and national security operations may use alternative time sources after government approval.
|
| [UPSC 2025] Consider the following countries:
I. United Kingdom II. Denmark III. New Zealand IV. Australia V. Brazil How many of the above countries have more than four time zones?
(a) All the five (b) Only four * (c) Only three (d) Only two |
