Centre Plans Comprehensive Policy To Make Adoption Of Indian Standard Time Mandatory: All You Need To Know

Image Credit- NPL India, ISRO, Unsplash (Representational)

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Centre Plans Comprehensive Policy To Make Adoption Of Indian Standard Time Mandatory: All You Need To Know

The project, carried out in collaboration with NPL and ISRO, aims to develop infrastructure and technology to distribute IST from five locations across India to all telecom providers, power grids, data centres, etc.

The central government is planning to release a comprehensive policy for the compulsory adoption of Indian Standard Time (IST) nationwide, said a senior official from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

The objective of the policy is to ensure the synchronisation of all networks and computers to IST and its adoption by Internet Service Providers, Telecom Service Providers, power grids, stock exchanges, banks, etc., said the official. Currently, not all telecom and internet service providers are required to use IST; instead, they are utilising servers synced with other sources such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Know About The Policy

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is already working on a project to generate and disseminate precise time that can be traced to IST.

The official informed the ministry intends to devise a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 for "mandatory adoption of IST". It will employ consultants to thoroughly analyse the need for time synchronisation, research the best global practices in this area, and establish strategies and processes for the successful execution of the project.

The official stated, "It is imperative that all networks and computers within the country, especially those that cater to the real-time applications to the strategic sectors for national security, be synchronised to the national time standard," quoted NDTV.

Aim Of The Policy

The project, which is being carried out in collaboration with NPL and ISRO, aims to develop infrastructure and technology to distribute IST from five locations across India to all telecom providers, power grids, financial institutions, data centres, ordinary people, etc. These sites are the Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) of DoCA at Guwahati, Faridabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. The official added, "Upon completion, the project is expected to enhance national security and reduce the error in time synchronisation."

Accurate time is crucial for the country's artificial intelligence, banking systems, cyber-physical systems, defence systems, digital governance, financial transactions, internet, internet of things, power grid synchronisation, strategic and non-strategic sectors for navigation, telecommunications, transport systems, and upcoming technologies of 5G.

Accurate time with nanosecond preciseness is also needed for high-end research in science, such as deep space navigation, detection of gravitational waves, geodesy, measurement of fundamental physical constants, radio telescopes, etc.

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