Ever wondered why millions of clocks around the world “spring forward” and “fall back” by an hour, every year? This bi-annual, ‘clock-shifting’ ritual, called Daylight Savings Time (DST), was introduced to make better use of the daylight during the longer days of spring and summer. But, India—along with most other equatorial countries—has opted to stay out of this practice. In this blog, let us explore what DST is, its history, why some countries practice it while India steers clear of it.
Daylight Savings Time (DST): Evolution Over the Years
DST is nothing else but a practice of setting clocks an hour ahead in the spring and back by one hour in the fall to provide more daylight in the evenings, allowing people to enjoy that extra hour of sunlight whilst, theoretically reducing the need for artificial lighting and thereby, reducing overall energy consumption.
The early concept of DST dates back to 1784 when the American scientist, Benjamin Franklin came up with a humorous solution to economize Parisians’ candle usage, by waking up earlier and utilizing the early sunlight. If you have heard the proverb, “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”, it actually originated from his satirical essay published in Journal de Paris. But, he never proposed putting the clocks forward.
In 1895, a New Zealander entomologist named George Vernon Hudson, put forward the concept of shifting time zones. He proposed to adjust two hours for five months; every year. Later in the early 1900s, a British builder William Willet, out on his own, started to adjust clocks forward in the summer, hoping that people would make use of the bright beautiful mornings and the prolonged evening light. In 1916, the British government passed a law to move the clock by one hour in the summer and spring seasons.
DST was widely adopted post World War-I, when Germany and Austria-Hungary implemented the practice to conserve fuel and resources for the war effort. It was then soon adopted by other European nations and the United States (U.S) with the U.S making DST a mandatory practice during the energy crisis of the 1970s. Today, DST is practiced by over 70 countries worldwide.
The Impact of DST – Pros and Cons
In the present world, DST is both praised and criticized. It has its benefits in extending daylight hours and energy savings but it has its impact on human health and daily routines.
Pros
- Energy Savings: DST was originally introduced to save energy by utilizing daylight hours, thereby reducing the usage of artificial lights.
- Boost for Economy: With an extra hour of daylight available, businesses will stay active for that long and also encourage people to engage in business.
- Improved Well Being: Exposure to longer daylight constitutes a better mood and positively impacts overall mental health, reducing onset of seasonal depression.
Cons
- Futile Energy Savings: Proposed as an energy-saving practice a century ago, it has now grown to be irrelevant with artificial lighting being less of a concern, as heavy appliances like air conditioners and computers now consume more energy.
- Sleep Disruption: The bi-annual time change disrupts the circadian rhythm, leading to tiredness and even serious health issues to select individuals depending upon their underlying medical conditions.
- Health Risks: More recent studies have linked DST to increased heart attacks, accidents, workplace injuries, that too right after the start of the spring shift.
Why Has India Opted Out of DST?
The answer is pretty straightforward—India lies closer to the equator and therefore, does not experience the stark variations in daytime hours between seasons, as it does in higher-latitude countries. For instance, in New Delhi, the difference between the longest and shortest days of the year is only about three hours. Compare that to St. Petersburg, Russia, the difference is a whopping 13 hours! This consistency means there is no need for India to make any clock adjustments, as the natural daylight is pretty stable throughout the year.
Therefore, India follows a uniform time zone (Indian Standard Time or IST), making it easier for the country to function without the twice-a-year clock shift. There’s already a significant time gap in the northeastern states and introducing DST will only complicate the system. Additionally, India’s work/outdoor culture is sedate compared to its Western counterparts, where DST encourages outdoor activities and gatherings.
DST: An Age-old Practice on a Decline
The practice of DST in the current modern world is being questioned and even abandoned by countries that once used it. It was initially adopted as an energy-saving measure-especially artificial lighting, but technological advancements over the century have introduced energy-efficient lighting and subsequent usage of heavy energy consuming appliances have nullified the need for DST’s impact on energy savings.
Russia ended DST back in 2014 citing health issues amongst their masses. With public sentiment shifting against it—viewing it as an unnecessary and harmful ritual, the European Union and a few states of the U.S are considering abolishing it altogether. And, countries now proactively exploring and adopting energy-efficient alternatives, DST is now facing a steady decline and a possible, worldwide abolishment in the near future.
To conclude, DST doesn’t make much of a sense for India (at least for now), considering the country’s geographical and cultural situation, where there isn’t much difference in daylight hours throughout the year and most importantly, it suits our lifestyle and location.
Trivia: Did you know that in 1999, a mix-up with the DST programming caused a temporary glitch in the U.S Military’s GPS systems?
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