Draft legal metrology rules were immediately released to ensure genuine Indian time. peppermint

New Delhi: The government on Monday notified rules to harmonize all Indian clocks with indigenous atomic clocks to provide “millisecond to nanosecond accuracy” to the Indian Standard Time.

The draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025, notified by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), seeks to ensure uniformity and accuracy in timekeeping – a government press release said this will result in ‘One Nation, One Will be ‘time’. ,

peppermint were the first to report on the proposed development on 27 March 2024.

Currently, most of the software operating modules in India depend on US-based Network Time Protocol servers. The move will mandate that all software be synchronized with indigenous nuclear clocks, ensuring consistency in timing – especially important in times of war.

Developed in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the draft rules aim to create a regulatory framework One Nation One Time.

It said the new framework will utilize advanced infrastructure, including five legal metrology laboratories across India, to align systems and networks with IST.

Legal metrology is the application of legal requirements to measurements and measuring instruments.

Once the exercise is completed, all computers, smartphones, digital watches and digital radios will be managed by NPL and the regional reference standards laboratories of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in Indian time.

So far, only four other countries – the US, Britain, Japan and South Korea – have their own atomic clocks.

Why is this step important?

Precise timekeeping is essential for navigation, telecommunications, power grids, banking, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). Currently, many telecommunications and Internet providers rely on foreign time sources such as GPS, which can pose a threat to national security and real-time operations.

The draft rules include cyber security measures to prevent disruptions and allow exceptions for scientific, astronomical and navigational purposes with government approval. Regular audits and penalties for violations are also proposed, and it is open for public comments until February 14.

Compliance will be monitored through regular audits, with penalties for non-compliance. The rules also outline the synchronization process, implementation guidelines and accuracy standards, ensuring nationwide alignment with IST.

“The adoption of these rules is expected to streamline financial transactions, optimize industrial operations, and improve synchronization of national infrastructure and communication networks. The increased accuracy in areas such as 5G technologies, power grids and navigation systems is expected to boost technological integration and global competitiveness, the government press release said.

To address these challenges, a high level committee was constituted under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 to formulate policies and rules for adoption of IST. Chaired by the Secretary, Consumer Affairs, it includes representatives from NPL, ISRO, IIT Kanpur, NIC, CERT. -SEBI and key government departments like railways, telecom and financial services.

Read this also Government considering making Indian Standard Time mandatory: Report

The committee held meetings to draft rules for adopting IST, set network synchronization guidelines and time-stamping, develop framework for cyber security and monitor the progress of the IST project with advanced technology.