Indian Standard Time (IST) is set to become mandatory across India, for all citizens and businesses, including major telecommunications companies like Airtel and Jio.
The decision to implement IST as the official time standard for the entire country was taken by the Union Cabinet, which is the highest decision-making body in the Indian government.
A senior official from the ministry stated Department of Consumer Affairs (DOCA) has reported working with repetitive organizations like National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for coming up with an exact time that leads to IST.
This move is aimed at synchronizing all the clocks across the country, which will bring about greater efficiency and ease of communication and is expected to enhance national security and reduce the error in time synchronization as stated by the official.
Currently, different regions in India follow their own local time, which can lead to confusion and miscommunication.
For example, if a business in the state of Gujarat wants to schedule a conference call with a partner in the state of Tamil Nadu, they would have to take into account the time difference between the two states. With IST, this problem would be eliminated, as all clocks would be set to the same time.
The mandatory adoption of IST will also have a positive impact on the country’s transportation sector. Trains and buses will run on time, and flight schedules will be more accurate. This will lead to greater efficiency and reliability and will ultimately benefit the passengers.
Moreover, the move will also benefit the country’s economy, as businesses will be able to conduct their operations more smoothly, without having to consider the different time zones. This will also lead to increased productivity and competitiveness in the global market.
Telecom giants like Airtel and Jio will also have to comply with the new time standard, which will ensure that their services are synced with the rest of the country.
This will lead to better communication and connectivity, which is vital for businesses and individuals alike.
Currently, some of the telecom service and internet providers make use of servers that are synced to other sources like Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
The implementation of IST will bring about many benefits for the country, including improved transportation, increased productivity and competitiveness, and better communication and connectivity.
The Ministry is collaborating with NPL and ISRO in order to create technology and set up the necessary infrastructure that will distribute the IST system over five sites across India to all telecommunication providers, electricity grids, banking organizations, data centers, the general public, and other parties.
The Consumer Affairs department has five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories that are located in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Faridabad, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati.
It is expected that all citizens, businesses, and organizations will comply with the new time standard and make the necessary adjustments to their clocks and schedules.
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