The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026 on 27 August 2026. The Rules make Indian Standard Time (IST) the common time reference across the country for legal, administrative, commercial and other official purposes. They will come into force 180 days from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
The department said the need for a common time reference has grown with the use of digital and technology-based systems. Banking and digital payments, telecommunications, railways, power systems, computer networks and government records depend on accurate time and time stamps. Differences between time sources, it said, can affect how such activities are coordinated and recorded. The Rules are aimed at ensuring that important systems across the country use accurate and consistent IST.
The Government is developing infrastructure to disseminate IST across the country through Indian institutions and Legal Metrology laboratories. The Rules also provide for the use of NavIC, India's satellite navigation system, and other approved Indian timing sources for reliable and secure time dissemination.
Several systems at present use foreign satellite-based time sources. The department said an Indian time dissemination infrastructure will give critical systems additional options and reduce dependence on external time sources.
Under the 'One Nation, One Time' initiative, a White Rabbit Technology-based IST Dissemination Demonstration Network was commissioned at the Regional Reference Standard Laboratory (RRSL), Bengaluru, in July 2026. The network has demonstrated IST dissemination for banking, telecommunications, power, transportation and digital governance.
The department has also demonstrated secure dissemination of IST between RRSL Bengaluru and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Chennai. This was done in collaboration with CSIR-NPL, ISRO, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), NSE, BSNL and other stakeholders.
The gap before commencement is meant to let government departments, businesses, institutions and other organisations review their existing systems, make the necessary technical changes and prepare for implementation.
With reference to the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The Rules provide for an Indian time dissemination infrastructure, including the use of NavIC.
Statement-II: Several systems at present use foreign satellite-based time sources, and an Indian infrastructure will reduce dependence on external time sources.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Consider the following information:
| Institution / Technology | Role in the One Nation, One Time initiative | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | White Rabbit Technology | Basis of the IST Dissemination Demonstration Network |
| 2. | Regional Reference Standard Laboratory, Bengaluru | Site where the demonstration network was commissioned |
| 3. | National Stock Exchange, Chennai | Site where the demonstration network was commissioned |
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
