Ujjain: Could “Mahakaal Standard Time” be considered as an alternate framework to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)?
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called for a scientific discussion on this, placing the idea within India’s civilisation and scientific legacy, while speaking in Ujjain at an international conference themed ‘Mahakal: the Master of Time’.
“We have also urged scientific communities and thinkers to reflect on whether the nomenclature and framework of time calculation…can be revisited,” Pradhan said, as reported by Financial Express.
“Can we, based on scientific evidence, move once again towards the concept of a ‘Mahakaal Standard Time’,” he added.
The minister proposed the idea within India’s broader goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, asserting the need to reconnect modern science with traditional knowledge systems.
“India has a natural strength and a deep-rooted tradition…Mahakaal has been at the centre of our civilisation’s system of time calculation,” he said.
Dharmendra termed Ujjain a “living laboratory” of Indian knowledge, where science, culture, literature, and spirituality historically intersected, as reported by ANI. Ancient centres such as Ujjain, Kanchi and Kashi were not just places of worship but hubs of scientific and intellectual activity, he added.
Time calculation systems had origins beyond modern-day Greenwich, suggesting that historical frameworks deserve renewed scientific scrutiny, Dharmendra said.
“The framework of time calculation, which once originated here but later shifted to Greenwich, can be revisited,” he highlighted.
Any such move must be rooted in scientific evidence and academic discussion, the minister stated. He expressed confidence that ongoing research and discussions at the three-day conference would contribute meaningfully to this debate.
His remarks drew reactions online, reflecting both curiosity and doubt.
While some users questioned priorities, others slammed the idea from a scientific temper standpoint, pointed to the need for practical reforms.
Some, however, defended the concept, highlighting Ujjain’s historical significance. A user pointed out that the city was once considered a prime meridian in ancient India.
“Ujjain should be IST…where the lord of time himself resides,” another suggested.
