Government Proposes ‘One Country, One Time’ To Standardize Timekeeping Practices
New Delhi, 27th January 2025: After implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and proposing the concept of One Nation, One Election, the government is now moving towards implementing a uniform time system under the banner of ‘One Country, One Time.’ The initiative aims to mandate Indian Standard Time (IST) as the sole time reference across all official, commercial, and legal platforms.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has released a draft of the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2024, inviting public suggestions until February 14. The proposed legislation seeks to provide a legal framework to enforce IST as the standard across sectors such as commerce, transport, public administration, financial operations, and legal contracts. Violations of these rules may attract penalties.
The draft proposes the exclusive use of IST as the time reference for all official and commercial purposes. It also mandates the display of IST in government offices, institutions, and various operational systems. Additionally, the framework introduces a time-synchronization system to enhance cybersecurity and reliability, developed in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
According to a senior government official, “Nanosecond-level accuracy in timekeeping is crucial for strategic and non-strategic sectors, including telecommunications, banking, defense, 5G, and artificial intelligence. Even minor errors in time synchronization can result in significant losses.”
India currently operates on a single time zone, based on the 82.5° east longitude, which is 5.5 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This system was established in 1906, and since 1948, Kolkata’s separate time zone was discontinued.
While some northeastern states have long demanded a separate time zone, citing early sunrises and sunsets that affect productivity, the government argues that a unified time system prevents confusion and minimizes risks such as railway or aviation accidents.
Advocates of multiple time zones highlight research from the journal Current Science, which suggests that two time zones could save up to 20 million kilowatts of electricity annually and enhance productivity in regions like the Northeast. However, scientists warn that having multiple time zones in a single country can lead to logistical challenges and human errors, potentially causing chaos in transportation and communication.
Globally, countries like the United States and Russia have multiple time zones—11 each—while Canada has six. Even smaller nations like France have 12 time zones due to overseas territories. However, most countries, including India, operate on a single time zone for administrative simplicity.
The government’s push for ‘One Country, One Time’ seeks to streamline timekeeping practices, enhancing efficiency and security in critical sectors. While the proposal has sparked debates, it underscores the importance of standardized time as a foundation for national and global operations. Public feedback on the draft rules will play a key role in shaping this landmark initiative.
