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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to shortly notify rules for mandatory use of Indian Standard Time: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi: The government has decided to make mandatory the use of Indian Standard Time for all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. This initiative will translate into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication. Presently, several systems rely on foreign sources of time. To make Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, the government will shortly notify Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were issued in January 2025 for stakeholders' feedback. On Wednesday, the Department of Consumer Affairs organized a round table conference on Time Dissemination here. Joshi emphasized on the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. He said the upcoming rules will mandate synchronization of all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities with IST, "prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly authorised". "We are notifying the rules. In that, we are now One Nation One Time... These rules will be mandated very shortly. Exact date will be decided at a later stage," Joshi told reporters here. "In today's data-driven world, the un-synchronised clocks lead to digital mismatches, investigation challenges and network inefficiencies. Several systems currently rely on foreign timing sources like GPS, posing the risk of cyber attacks, inconsistency and non-traceable time stamps," he said. This project addresses a long-standing gap of institutionalising the IST as the official legal time of India, the minister said. "Since we have decided to implement and notify these that is going to be mandatory, we had a round table conference of all stakeholders...," the minister said adding that "very shortly, IST will be a reality. We will have our own time". The conference witnessed active participation from over 100 stakeholders representing sectors, including telecom, financial services and railways. "For the common man, this initiative translates into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication, ensuring fairness, transparency, and trust in day-to-day services," an official statement said. The minister underscored that precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation and others are essential to ensuring fairness, accuracy and national security. "The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization protocols like NTP and PTP," it added. Nidhi Khare, secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, said " So far we were dependent on external sources for time dissemination. We have Indianised the entire ecosystem of time and the department is now ready with the dissemination process." She stressed on the need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. She explained that under the Time Dissemination Project, the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO is establishing an advanced infrastructure comprising five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These centres are being equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization systems using Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure millisecond to microsecond accuracy. The secretary's presentation outlined the risks posed by current reliance on foreign time sources, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities like spoofing and jamming. She stated that the implementation of these rules would be a crucial step toward ensuring traceability, enhancing operational reliability, and fostering national time sovereignty. The initiative is a major step in building a trusted and standardized digital ecosystem across the country. The Time Dissemination initiative is the result of sustained inter-ministerial coordination and technical consultations since 2018. Participating stakeholders supported the government's plan to notify the rules, the statement said.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Coming, rules to mandate IST for time sovereignty
NEW DELHI: Did you know the Indian Standard Time (IST) is derived from the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) with an offset of +5.30 hours? It is a successor to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a 'One Nation, One Time' pitch, the Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO, is set to notify a bunch of rules for synchronisation of all activities with IST. It may not appear to be a big deal for the aam aadmi, but synchronisation would make digital transactions more secure, add accuracy to utility billing and reduce risks of cybercrime. Currently, Indian industries depend on the GPS of US satellites for synchronised time. But it can be vulnerable to manipulation. For context, the time standard used for the recent four-day Operation Sindoor against Pakistan was not linked to the GPS to keep it away from the prying eyes of the enemy. The government has now directed that all legal, commercial, and administrative activities be synchronised with IST. The use of alternative time references will be prohibited. Establishing a domestic source of time standard is critical for sectors like telecom, where even nanoseconds can make a difference.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
One Nation, One Time: India's march towards time sovereignty, says Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, organised a landmark Round Table Conference on Time Dissemination at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, today, under the visionary theme 'One Nation, One Time.' According to a press release, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, emphasised the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the Department of Consumer Affairs in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. He highlighted that the upcoming Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025, will mandate synchronisation of all legal, commercial and administrative activities with Indian Standard Time (IST), prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly authorised. The Minister underscored that precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation, and others is essential to ensuring fairness, accuracy and national security. The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization protocols like NTP and PTP, ushering in a new era of digital and administrative efficiency under the vision of 'One Nation, One Time', the press release said. Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare, in her presentation, highlighted the urgent need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. S he explained that under the Time Dissemination Project, the Department, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO, is establishing an advanced infrastructure comprising five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These centres are being equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronisation systems using Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure millisecond to microsecond accuracy. According to the press release, Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, in his welcome address, emphasised that adopting a comprehensive approach to time management strengthens the Government's ability to carry out enforcement activities with greater efficiency, accuracy and coordination, thereby enhancing overall administrative effectiveness. The conference featured expert presentations on time synchronisation challenges and the necessity of reducing dependency on foreign time sources like GPS, which pose risks such as spoofing and jamming. Stakeholders from diverse sectors such as banking, telecom, energy, stock markets and transportation echoed the importance of an indigenous, precise, and verifiable time standard. The Time Dissemination initiative is the result of sustained inter-ministerial coordination and technical consultations since 2018. Meetings were held with the Principal Scientific Adviser, Deputy NSA, Cabinet Secretariat and NSCS. Over 60 meetings have been held by the Department of Consumer Affairs, with extensive engagement with CSIR-NPL, ISRO and other key stakeholders. This sustained engagement led to the formulation of the Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. For the common man, this initiative translates into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronised timekeeping in transportation and communication, ensuring fairness, transparency, and trust in day-to-day services. As per the press release, the Round Table Conference witnessed active participation from over 100 stakeholders representing a broad spectrum of sectors. These included senior officials from key Government Ministries and Departments such as the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Finance, SEBI, NSCS, Railways, and the Central Bank of India. Technical partners from CSIR-NPL and ISRO also played a central role. Leading public and private sector organisations like Power Grid, RailTel, BSNL, NSE, BSE and major telecom and internet service providers such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, Sify and Tata Communications participated. Industry associations, including FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHD Chamber, COAI and TEMA, were well-represented, alongside key cybersecurity and digital infrastructure stakeholders like CERT-In, NIC, NCIIPC and CCA. Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs) and representatives from ICICI, Bank of Baroda and various other stakeholders also contributed to the discussions, reaffirming collective national support for the adoption of Indian Standard Time across sectors. (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to shortly notify rules for mandatory use of Indian Standard Time: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi: The government has decided to make mandatory the use of Indian Standard Time for all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. This initiative will translate into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication. Presently, several systems rely on foreign sources of time. To make Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, the government will shortly notify Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were issued in January 2025 for stakeholders' feedback. On Wednesday, the Department of Consumer Affairs organized a round table conference on Time Dissemination here. Joshi emphasized on the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. Live Events He said the upcoming rules will mandate synchronization of all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities with IST, "prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly authorised". "We are notifying the rules. In that, we are now One Nation One Time... These rules will be mandated very shortly. Exact date will be decided at a later stage," Joshi told reporters here. "In today's data-driven world, the un-synchronised clocks lead to digital mismatches, investigation challenges and network inefficiencies. Several systems currently rely on foreign timing sources like GPS, posing the risk of cyber attacks, inconsistency and non-traceable time stamps," he said. This project addresses a long-standing gap of institutionalising the IST as the official legal time of India, the minister said. "Since we have decided to implement and notify these that is going to be mandatory, we had a round table conference of all stakeholders...," the minister said adding that "very shortly, IST will be a reality. We will have our own time". The conference witnessed active participation from over 100 stakeholders representing sectors, including telecom, financial services and railways. "For the common man, this initiative translates into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication, ensuring fairness, transparency, and trust in day-to-day services," an official statement said. The minister underscored that precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation and others are essential to ensuring fairness, accuracy and national security. "The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization protocols like NTP and PTP," it added. Nidhi Khare, secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, said " So far we were dependent on external sources for time dissemination. We have Indianised the entire ecosystem of time and the department is now ready with the dissemination process." She stressed on the need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. She explained that under the Time Dissemination Project, the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO is establishing an advanced infrastructure comprising five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These centres are being equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization systems using Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure millisecond to microsecond accuracy. The secretary's presentation outlined the risks posed by current reliance on foreign time sources, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities like spoofing and jamming. She stated that the implementation of these rules would be a crucial step toward ensuring traceability, enhancing operational reliability, and fostering national time sovereignty. The initiative is a major step in building a trusted and standardized digital ecosystem across the country. The Time Dissemination initiative is the result of sustained inter-ministerial coordination and technical consultations since 2018. Participating stakeholders supported the government's plan to notify the rules, the statement said.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Govt to shortly notify rules for mandatory use of IST: Pralhad Joshi
The government has decided to make mandatory the use of Indian Standard Time for all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. This initiative will translate into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronised timekeeping in transportation and communication. Presently, several systems rely on foreign sources of time. To make Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, the government will shortly notify Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were issued in January 2025 for stakeholders' feedback. On Wednesday, the Department of Consumer Affairs organized a round table conference on Time Dissemination here. Joshi emphasized on the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. He said the upcoming rules will mandate synchronization of all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities with IST, "prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly authorised". "We are notifying the rules. In that, we are now One Nation One Time... These rules will be mandated very shortly. Exact date will be decided at a later stage," Joshi told reporters here. "In today's data-driven world, the un-synchronised clocks lead to digital mismatches, investigation challenges and network inefficiencies. Several systems currently rely on foreign timing sources like GPS, posing the risk of cyber attacks, inconsistency and non-traceable time stamps," he said. This project addresses a long-standing gap of institutionalising the IST as the official legal time of India, the minister said. "Since we have decided to implement and notify these that is going to be mandatory, we had a round table conference of all stakeholders...," the minister said adding that "very shortly, IST will be a reality. We will have our own time". The conference witnessed active participation from over 100 stakeholders representing sectors, including telecom, financial services and railways. "For the common man, this initiative translates into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication, ensuring fairness, transparency, and trust in day-to-day services," an official statement said. The minister underscored that precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation and others are essential to ensuring fairness, accuracy and national security. "The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization protocols like NTP and PTP," it added. Nidhi Khare, secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, said " So far we were dependent on external sources for time dissemination. We have Indianised the entire ecosystem of time and the department is now ready with the dissemination process." She stressed on the need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. She explained that under the Time Dissemination Project, the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and Isro is establishing an advanced infrastructure comprising five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These centres are being equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization systems using Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure millisecond to microsecond accuracy. The secretary's presentation outlined the risks posed by current reliance on foreign time sources, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities like spoofing and jamming. She stated that the implementation of these rules would be a crucial step toward ensuring traceability, enhancing operational reliability, and fostering national time sovereignty. The initiative is a major step in building a trusted and standardized digital ecosystem across the country. The Time Dissemination initiative is the result of sustained inter-ministerial coordination and technical consultations since 2018. Participating stakeholders supported the government's plan to notify the rules, the statement said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
