Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026 Notified
Why in the news
The Department of Consumer Affairs has notified rules to give Indian Standard Time (IST) a legal footing. The move supports the government’s One Nation, One Time vision.
Key facts
- Notified: 27 August 2026; Gazette publication: 29 August 2026.
- Commencement: 180 days after Gazette publication.
- The rules cover generation, maintenance, dissemination and use of IST in sectors such as telecom, finance, power and government services.
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory is India’s National Metrology Institute and keeps the atomic time scale for IST.
- Five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories hold secondary time scales traceable to NPL.
Regional laboratories and distribution
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regional labs | Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, Guwahati |
| Network methods | NTP and PTP |
| Satellite method | NavIC |
| Emerging method | Optical fibre (White Rabbit) |
About legal metrology
Legal metrology deals with standards of measurement used in trade and regulation. The Department of Consumer Affairs sits under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Exam angle
- Remember the date trio: 27 Aug notified, 29 Aug gazette, 180 days to commence.
- CSIR-NPL is the custodian of IST; NavIC is one satellite route for distributing it.
- Slogan to recall: One Nation, One Time.