New Rules to Standardize Indian Standard Time (IST) for Legal & Commercial Activities

19 Jun 2025 GS 2 Governance
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  1. Mandatory Synchronization:

    • The Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules will require all legal, administrative, and commercial operations to sync with IST.

    • Aims to prohibit alternative time references for uniformity and security.

  2. Strategic Importance:

    • Ensures fairness, accuracy, and national security in sectors like:

      • Financial markets

      • Power grids

      • Telecommunications

      • Transportation

  3. Infrastructure Development:

    • Five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) with atomic clocks will be set up in:

      • Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, Guwahati.

    • Uses secure protocols like NTP (Network Time Protocol) and PTP (Precision Time Protocol).

  4. Collaboration with Scientific Bodies:

    • Ministry working with CSIR-NPL (National Physical Laboratory) and ISRO.

    • Ensures millisecond to microsecond accuracy in time dissemination.

  5. Cybersecurity & Sovereignty:

    • Reduces reliance on foreign time sources, preventing risks like:

      • Spoofing

      • Jamming

    • Promotes national time sovereignty and digital trust.

  6. Vision:

    • "One Nation, One Time" – A unified, legally enforceable timekeeping system.



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