India Launches 'One Nation, One Time' Initiative for Unified Timekeeping

India's 'One Nation, One Time' initiative seeks to synchronize Indian Standard Time nationwide, aiming to enhance economic efficiency and security. The initiative leverages advanced technologies for precise timekeeping, intending to replace foreign time sources and improve various sectors including telecommunications, digital governance, and scientific research.

The Indian government has rolled out the Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025 to establish a synchronized and exact Indian Standard Time (IST) across the country, in line with its 'One Nation, One Time' initiative. This effort aims to unify timekeeping, boost economic efficiency, and strengthen national security.

In collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the project intends to distribute IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy. To achieve this, infrastructure will be set up in five Legal Metrology laboratories nationwide, benefiting sectors such as navigation, telecommunications, and power grid synchronization.

Currently, many telecom and internet service providers depend on foreign time sources like GPS, which poses cybersecurity risks. A high-powered inter-ministerial committee, led by the Secretary of Consumer Affairs, has been formed to address these challenges and enforce IST's mandatory adoption across all sectors.

This committee comprises representatives from NPL, ISRO, IIT Kanpur, and various government bodies. Their task is to create regulatory frameworks for the full implementation of IST. Public feedback on the draft rules, published on January 15, 2025, is open until February 14, 2025, through the Department of Consumer Affairs' website.

The draft rules promote IST as the sole time reference, encouraging reliable synchronization protocols like Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for government use. Cybersecurity measures will enhance resilience against cyber-attacks, while compliance audits and penalties will assure adherence to the new standards.

Standardized timekeeping is expected to revolutionize sectors by ensuring precise financial transactions, improving emergency response, and optimizing industrial operations. The initiative is set to significantly impact navigation, telecommunications, and emerging technologies like 5G and IoT.

Streamlined synchronization of digital devices will boost efficiency in services and operations, fortifying the national infrastructure. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)