India, Aug. 31 -- The Government has notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, mandating Indian Standard Time (IST) as the single reference for legal, administrative, commercial and other official purposes across the country.

The nodal consumer affairs ministry notified the rules on August 27, but they will come into force 180 days after their publication in the official gazette, giving government departments, businesses, and institutions time to align their systems. The move comes amid growing reliance on digital and technology-based systems - from banking and payments to telecommunications, railways, power grids and computer networks - that depend on accurate and synchronised timestamps.

The ministry said incons...