Which GMT time zone is India in?

Indian Standard Time, with a time difference of UTC+05:30 , is the time zone used throughout the country. The local time that is mentioned at this meridian is regarded as the standard meridian.

Where is the Standard Meridian for India located?

The Standard Meridian for India is located at the longitude of 82°30’E that passes through Mirzapur city in Uttar Pradesh . The standard time is also called the synchronization of clocks in a specific geographical area. Why 82.30 is Selected as the Standard Meridian? Which is the Standard Meridian of India?

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Why do we Need a Standard Meridian for India?

Q: Why do we Need a Standard Meridian for India?

We need a Standard Meridian for India to ensure that all of its locations are at the same time . It is defined as the synchronization of clocks to a single standard time, within a specific geographical location.

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

We need a Standard Meridian for India because it ensures that all its locations have the same time. The Standard Meridian, with its longitude of 82°30’E and passage through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, determines India’s standard time. Standard time is defined as synchronizing clocks within a specific geographical location to a single standard time rather than using solar time or a locally selected meridian (longitude) to produce a local mean time standard.

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1. Need for Standard Meridian for India
2. Standard Meridian of India

Need for Standard Meridian for India

India’s North-South extent is greater than its East-West extent. The following factors account for it:

While the difference in latitude remains constant throughout, the difference in longitude decreases as one gets closer to the poles.
At the equator, the distance between two longitudes is 111 km. It represents the difference between two latitudes. It is always 111 km but drops to 0 km at the poles.
As a result, the north-south extent and distance of India remain unchanged.
As the two longitudes get closer, the east-west extension bends in a U-shape, shortening the east-west distance.
The longitude lines are now closer together as a result, and the East-West distance is now shorter than the North-South distance.

Standard Meridian of India

Local time differs from one location to the next. Dibrugarh in Assam and Dwarka in Gujarat have different local times that differ by approximately one hour and forty-five minutes in India. As a result, the national standard time must be established as the central meridian’s local time.

The standard meridian’s longitude is 82° 30’E, or 8212° E. The local time displayed or reported at this meridian is assumed to be the national standard time. The Indian Standard Time is used for this (IST).

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