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Centre Advocates For ‘One Nation, One Time’, How Will It Function?

The Centre's 'One Nation, One Time' initiative aims to standardize timekeeping across India, enhancing economic efficiency and national security.

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Centre Advocates For ‘One Nation, One Time’, How Will It Function?


In a significant move, the Centre has drafted comprehensive rules mandating the exclusive use of Indian Standard Time (IST) across all official and commercial platforms. This initiative, known as ‘One Nation, One Time,’ aims to standardize timekeeping practices throughout the country. The Consumer Affairs Ministry has sought feedback on the proposal by February 14, 2025.

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What is ‘One Nation, One Time’?

The ‘One Nation, One Time’ proposal suggests that all government activities across India should operate under the same standard time, prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly permitted by the government. This includes legal, administrative, commercial, and official documents. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the initiative aims to ensure uniformity in timekeeping, enhance economic efficiency, and bolster national security.

The project, undertaken in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), seeks to disseminate IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy. To achieve this precision, infrastructure will be established in five Legal Metrology laboratories across India.

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How Will It Work?

Currently, IST is determined by GPS satellites and is linked to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with a 5:30-hour offset. This is maintained by the CSIR-NPL. In the coming months, the NPL will be connected to the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system to provide the reference time. Located in Faridabad, the NPL will receive time data from NavIC, which will be shared through an optic fibre link with four other centres—Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati—each equipped with an atomic clock.

Atomic clocks use particular atom resonance frequencies to operate and are renowned for their extraordinary accuracy, losing only one second every 100 million years. The implementation of atomic clocks will ensure that the time displayed on digital watches, cellphones, and computers is based on these highly precise clocks, rather than data from multiple sources connected to GPS.

The Kargil War highlighted the urgent need for an indigenous time system. India’s capacity to precisely target enemy positions was hindered by its reliance on time data from foreign satellites. Recognizing the strategic value of independence in this area, the government initiated this project around seven years ago.

How Will the Transition Happen?

A high-powered interministerial committee, chaired by the Secretary of Consumer Affairs, has been constituted to oversee the transition. The committee includes representatives from NPL, ISRO, IIT Kanpur, NIC, CERT-In, SEBI, and various government departments, including Railways, Telecom, and Financial Services. Public feedback is invited until February 14, 2025, through the official website of the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Key provisions include the adoption of reliable synchronization protocols like the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for government offices and public institutions. Cybersecurity measures and alternative reference mechanisms will also be implemented to ensure resilience during cyberattacks or disruptions. Additionally, compliance audits will be conducted periodically, and penalties will be imposed for violations. Exceptions will be granted for scientific, astronomical, and navigational purposes with prior government approval.

How Will It Benefit the Country?

The draft rules are poised to revolutionize time management in India by providing a unified and precise timekeeping framework. Enhanced synchronization will facilitate accurate financial transactions, improve emergency response coordination, and ensure consistent scheduling of public transportation. Moreover, standardized timekeeping will streamline legal and regulatory compliance, optimizing industrial operations and boosting global competitiveness.

Critical sectors such as navigation, telecommunications, 5G technologies, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and power grid synchronization stand to benefit significantly. At present, many Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) rely on foreign time sources like GPS instead of IST, posing risks to cybersecurity and the reliability of critical infrastructure. Reliable synchronization of digital devices and communication networks will improve consumer services and operational efficiency, creating a more robust infrastructure.

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IST One Nation One Time

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