India minister suggests replacing GMT with “Mahakal Standard Time”

India’s Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has suggested that the world should consider replacing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) with “Mahakal Standard Time” (MST). He said that Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh should be seen as the real center for calculating time.

Speaks at a public event he stated, "Strengthening the Science Centre and Planetarium in Ujjain is a significant step in this direction, which will enable future generations to move forward with a scientific outlook. Ujjain is a place where the divide between spirituality and science dissolves, and a new perspective emerges." 

He emphasized that science remains incomplete without spirituality, and citing Ujjain and the Mahakal Temple as examples of this truth, Pradhan stated that time calculation historically links to Ujjain, not Western countries. He added that modern technology and artificial intelligence tools now make it possible to rethink global time standards.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is currently used as an international reference for time. It is based on the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. Many countries set their clocks according to GMT or time zones based on it.

Pradhan emphasised that Ujjain has long been important in Indian astronomy and traditional timekeeping. He said this historical importance supports the idea of introducing Mahakal Standard Time.

The minister’s statement has started discussions about whether global time systems should change. However, no official proposal has been made yet.