Indian Government Mandates Indian Standard Time (IST) for National Security and Digital Sovereignty
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Key Event | Indian Standard Time (IST) to become mandatory across all sectors by Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025 |
| Announced by | Union Minister Pralhad Joshi |
| Purpose | Ensure uniform timekeeping, reduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and promote national security |
| Objective | Mandate IST for legal, commercial, digital, and administrative domains, eliminate reliance on foreign time sources |
| Key Features | - IST mandatory across sectors - Prohibits alternative time sources unless authorized - Applicable to transportation, telecom, financial markets, utilities |
| Infrastructure | - Five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, Guwahati - Equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization systems - Uses Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) - Offers millisecond to microsecond level accuracy |
| Coordination | - Department of Consumer Affairs - CSIR-NPL (National Physical Laboratory) - ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) |
| Strategic Significance | - Reduces digital mismatches and investigation delays - Counters spoofing and jamming vulnerabilities - Secures power grids, railways, financial systems, and communication networks Improves fairness in billing and trust in digital transactions Aligns with Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision |
| Stakeholder Support | - Round Table Conference with 100+ stakeholders from telecom, banking, railways, utilities - Secretary Nidhi Khare emphasized infrastructure readiness and urgency of implementation |