Context:

Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs notified Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025 aimed at standardizing time across the nation for One Nation, One Time.

More on the News

• The project will involve collaboration between the Department of Consumer Affairs, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to disseminate IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy. 
• The project aims to create technology and infrastructure to disseminate IST from five Legal Metrology laboratories across India.
• The current problem is that IST is not mandatorily adopted by all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), many of whom rely on foreign time sources like GPS.
• A high-power inter-ministerial committee was constituted to develop a policy framework, regulation, and legislation for the adoption of IST under the Legal Metrology Act, of 2009.

Key Provisions of the Draft Rules

• To Standardize and mandate the use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all sectors.
• Synchronization of legal, administrative, and commercial activities with IST.
• Use of reliable synchronization protocols like Network Time Protocol (NTP) or Precision Time Protocol (PTP).
• Cybersecurity measures and alternative reference mechanisms for resilience.
• Scientific, astronomical, and navigational exceptions may be granted with prior government approval.
• Periodic monitoring and penalties for non-compliance.
• Guidelines for implementation and accuracy standards.

Significance of the Rules

• The need for this precision is critical in various sectors such as navigation, telecommunications, power grid synchronization, banking, digital governance, and cutting-edge scientific research including deep space navigation and gravitational wave detection.
• Synchronizing all networks and systems to IST is essential for national security, real-time applications and the smooth operation of critical infrastructure.
• This will enhance economic efficiency and facilitate seamless interactions across industries and public services.