Indian Standard Time

Two-Timing
That's what IST is going to be soon. As if there aren't enough jokes on the 'timelessness' of Indians and Indian Standard Time already, there will soon be confusion too. With India contemplating the creation of two time zones, we will soon join the ranks of the multi-zone countries like the US and Russia. The US has four time zones and Russia has eight.

It does make sense to have two time zones in a country that extends 2000 kilometres from east to west. After all, you want people to rise and shine when the sun is up and not when it is still dark. Subir Gokarn, Chief Economist, National Council for Applied Economic Research, seems to think that "the quality of life in the east and north east will improve". But will habitual late comers have a ready-made excuse for coming late?

Presently, IST is the local time of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. However, if the government effects a change, the local time of Bhopal will be Indian Western Time and that of Kolkata will be Indian Eastern Time. So when the clock strikes 12 noon in Bhopal, it will be 1pm in Kolkata.

The next poser would then be which states would fall under which zones. A three member government committee is expected to submit a report to the Cabinet by December. Until then, its IST for all.