Centre Drafts 'One Nation, One Time' Rules: Mandatory Adoption of Indian Standard Time

New Delhi, January 26, 2025: The government has finalized comprehensive rules mandating the exclusive use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all official and commercial platforms, in a bid to standardize timekeeping practices.

The draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2024, establishes a legal framework for standardizing timekeeping practices, with IST as the sole time reference for legal, administrative, commercial, and official documents. The Consumer Affairs Ministry has extended an invitation to public stakeholders to submit comments and suggestions on the draft rules by February 14.

Under the proposed rules, all sectors including commerce, transport, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations must use IST as their sole time reference. Government offices and public institutions are also required to display IST in a clear and visible manner, while time-synchronization systems must ensure reliability, availability, and security.

The move aims to ensure precise timekeeping in critical national infrastructure, including telecommunications, banking, defense, and emerging technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence. "Precise time with nanosecond accuracy is essential for strategic and non-strategic sectors," a senior government official said.

Exceptions will be allowed for specialized fields such as astronomy, navigation, and scientific research, subject to prior government approval. Violations of the proposed rules are likely to attract penalties, with periodic audits planned to ensure compliance across sectors.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is collaborating with the National Physical Laboratory and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop a robust time generation and dissemination mechanism, as part of their efforts to ensure precise timekeeping in critical national infrastructure.