This Would What Happen If India Has Different Time Zones

Imagine, you are preparing for breakfast in Mumbai and your friend in Assam is having lunch. Or maybe you are ready for your office in Arunachal Pradesh and your friend in Delhi has not got over with his sleep yet.

Seems impossible?

it may be possible soon. According to PTI (Press Trust of India), ”Department of Science & Technology is conducting the study to assess feasibility of having different #TimeZones in the country: Official”.

Department of Science & Technology is conducting study to assess feasibility of having different #TimeZones in the country: Official.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2017

The proposal about separate time zone especially for the eastern states has been debated and rejected many times in past.

Ahuja, an author of the 2012 research paper, said that different time zones can be potentially problematic in India as Government offices in those states will close at different times and would be accessible only 75% of the time which can cause a potential loss of productivity. Ahuja also says that it could cause chaos for Indian railways, although airlines may still manage. “India is a country where trains change tracks by manual switching. Different time zones could cause major confusion in communications between train operators and lead to accidents,” he added.

Whereas the NIAS (National Institute of Advanced Studies) researchers claimed, If the proposal is adopted, it will lead to the saving of more than two billion units of electricity annually, that too during evening hours when utilities struggle to meet peaking energy demand.

It would also reduce the inconveniences people living in the northeast face on account of early sunrises and sunsets. The researchers expect that pushing back the clock will also lead to a reduction in road accidents and petty crimes such as mugging and chain snatching as people would be able to return home before dark.

By: Simran Dhingra