Question

Through which state in India does the standard meridian pass? How was the standard time of India decided?

Answer 1

The standard meridian of India passes through the state Uttar Pradesh.

About Standard meridian

• The Standard Meridian of India having the longitude 82°30’E, which passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh is considered as the standard time for the whole country
• Standard time is referred to as the synchronization of clocks within a certain geographical area to a single standard time, instead of using solar time or a locally chosen meridian (longitude) to establish a local mean time standard
• A standard meridian is established in each and every country so that it is the central longitude of the whole country and there is an equal time in all the country

The local time of places differ from one place to another. In India, we find a difference of about 1 hour and 45 minutes in the local times of Dwarka in Gujarat and Dibrugarh in Assam. Hence, it is necessary to adopt the local time of some central meridian of a country as the standard time for the country. The longitude of 82½° E (82° 30’E) is considered as the standard meridian. The local time stated or mentioned at this meridian is considered as the standard time for the whole country. This is called as the Indian Standard Time (IST).