Question

Give the importance of IST.

Answer 1

The Indian Standard Time (IST) is based on the local time of the central meridian of India, which is 82°30’ E longitude. This meridian passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and approximately divides the country longitudinally. IST helps maintain uniform time across the entire country, avoiding confusion caused by different sunrise and sunset timings, especially between the eastern states like Arunachal Pradesh and western states like Gujarat. IST is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and ensures smooth functioning of transport, communication, administration, and daily life throughout India.