Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Time Zone in India ? 1. There is one standard time for the whole country. 2. Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands have different Time Zones. 3. Indian Standard Time (IST) is five and half hours behind GMT. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

India follows a single standard time for the entire country, known as Indian Standard Time (IST) [1]. This time is based on the Standard Meridian of 82°30' E, which passes through Prayagraj [4]. Consequently, all regions including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep observe the same time zone, making statement 2 incorrect [4]. Statement 3 is also incorrect because IST is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), not behind it [4]. The longitudinal extent of India spans approximately 30 degrees, which would naturally result in a two-hour difference between the eastern and western extremities; however, the adoption of a single central meridian ensures that watches across the nation, from the northeast to the southern islands, show the same time [4].

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: Locating Places on the Earth > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 21
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > Indian Standard Time > p. 245
3. [4] https://www.britannica.com/science/Indian-time-zone