One Nation, One Time Update: Efforts are being made to hold a single election in the country, and the government is also considering implementing a single time across the nation, following a similar approach. In this regard, the government has drafted comprehensive rules to standardize time observance, making the use of Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory on all official and commercial platforms. Throughout this article, we will share all the details on why the government plans to standardize time across India after the One Nation, One Election initiative.

Purpose of the New Time Rules

The Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2024 are designed to standardize timekeeping practices. These rules make IST the only official time reference for legal, administrative, commercial, and official documents. This means using any other time reference for official purposes will be prohibited. The draft rule states, “IST will be the mandatory time reference in areas like commerce, transport, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations.”

Exceptions to the New Rules

A senior government official mentioned that highly accurate time with nanosecond precision is needed for strategic and non-strategic sectors. For this reason, exceptions will be made for areas like astronomy, navigation, and scientific research. However, these sectors will need government approval.

The Department of Consumer Affairs is working with the National Physical Laboratory and ISRO to develop a reliable system for time creation and distribution. The ministry has asked for suggestions on the draft rules by February 14.