These landmark rules aim to standardize and mandate use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all sectors in India.
About Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025
- Mandatory time reference: Would be IST across all sectors, including commerce, transport, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations.
- Prohibition: No person/entity shall use, display, or record time other than IST for official/commercial purposes.
- Provided that any law/government direction/guidelines permits same.
- Adoption of Time Synchronization Protocols: Such as Network Time Protocol and Precision Time Protocol etc. by government offices is required.
- Cybersecurity: To ensure resilience, cybersecurity measures and alternative reference mechanisms are prescribed.
- Authorized Deviations: Use of alternative timescales (GMT, etc.) is permitted for specific purposes e.g. astronomy, navigation, scientific research, etc. subject to prior permission.
Significance of New Draft Rules
- Strengthens national security by improving the synchronization of critical infrastructure
- Synchronization of digital devices and public services ensures reliable and efficient services
- Will ensure accurate financial transactions and consistency in record-keeping
About IST
- Central meridian of country (i.e. 82°30’E meridian passing through Mirzapur) is taken as Standard Meridian or IST (Maintained by CSIR-NPL).
- It is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) (now Universal Coordinated Time (UTC)).
- Local time at Prime Meridian (0° longitude) is known as GMT.
Longitude and Time
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