We read of a mainland Indian Journalist who wanted separate time zone for North East. He is not alone.
Another re-partition on India has been proposed – divide India into two times zones. Business World has this article “INDIAN STANDARD TIME
:In Good Time” that goes into the details of the pros and cons of this proposal.
Before Independence, India had two time zones! Bombay and Calcutta times. The Independence saw this unified while country was divided physically.
Reasons for the need of two time zones is to increase productivity and saving energy.
East India wakes up early and wasted hours waiting for work to begin. One may say people adjust with the Sunrise. This is true to an extent but not everyone can start as they like. In Winter, the Sun may have risen more than fours hours ago, but 9 AM is still 9 AM.
Look at Mizoram, in spite of the time difference in summer and winter, schools start at the same time throughout the year. In short, 1 -2 two hours of daylight is wasted. And in spite of the early Sunrise, Mizoram Government (allegedly) works shorter in winter.
A 1988 report from TERI to the Advisory Board of Energy showed peak demand could be lowered by as much as 220 MW, if India had two time zones.
One of the odds is if it is worth taking the administrative cost of having two time zones.
Something else that caught my attention :
The National Physics Laboratory periodically sends out a signal that can be received to calibrate clocks.
Long time ago, my uncle would adjust his watch per All India Radio Aizawl time. For India, looks like the National Physics Laboratory Time Server is the correct time.
To learn more about this signals, calibrating clock stuff, I paid a visit to NPL website.
Time and frequency measurements, the calibration services are offered to users at NPL premises as well as user’s end at NPL premises, Cesium and rubidium atomic clocks * Oven controlled crystal oscillators * Timers * Frequency counters are calibrated. The calibration services offered at the user’s end are: Portable rubidium clock service to synchronise the user clock within a microsecond * HF broadcast service operating at 10 MHz under call sign ATA to synchronise the user clock within a millisecond * INSAT satellite based standard time & frequency broadcast service offers Indian Standard Time correct upto ±10 microsecond and frequency calibration upto ±10-10. The ATA and INSAT systems provide time synchroniization and frequency calibration on a continuous basis * Passive TV technique is also being used for precise time transfers to microsecond accuracies
– NPL
Similar Posts:
- Mizoram Government: Little Heaven
- Ten highest-radiation cell phones
- Separate timezone for North East
- Satisfaction
- New Bangalore Airport Opening… at a price
September 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
We have been using the same standard time for over 60 years. It could be quite confusing to use more than one time zone in one country. In USA, they have to say things like : “8 PM eastern zone, 7 p.m. central, 6 p.m. Pacific” They could do it as they are used to it. In our case, it may be “8 p.m. Northeast (easrtern) time, 7 p.m.Delhi,(or central) 6 p.m. Mumbai (or Western zone)” . I prefer present system.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Another way would be to change your schedule +- n hour(s), same IST. Like the summer timings for Mizo fellowships in some places.