Based on communications received earlier from the then Governor of Tripura and few individuals, the Department of Science and Technology, in the year 2002, had constituted a high level Committee to explore the feasibility of having two separate time zones given the longitudinal difference between the extreme regions of the country. The Committee observed that having separate time zones may not provide any major advantage to the states but may pose difficulties in view of differential timings to be framed for airlines, railways, communication services, etc. It recommended that advancing the work/institutional timing in appropriate states would be more effective solution which can be implemented through administrative actions by the concerned state.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the Rajya Sabha today.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : April 22, 2010