Why is Nepal's time zone UTC+5:45?
Nepal uses UTC+5:45 because its standard time is set to the meridian at 86.25° east, which runs close to Mount Gauri Shankar east of Kathmandu, rather than to a whole or half-hour meridian. It is the only country whose national time is offset by 45 minutes; it adopted +5:45 in 1986.
Key facts
| Offset | UTC+5:45 |
|---|---|
| Reference meridian | 86.25° E (5¾ hours × 15°) |
| Adopted | 1986 (previously UTC+5:30) |
| Daylight saving | None |
| India | UTC+5:30, 15 minutes behind Nepal |
| China (Tibet) | UTC+8, 2 hours 15 minutes ahead |
| Other 45-minute offset | Chatham Islands, New Zealand: UTC+12:45 (+13:45 in summer) |
Where the 45 minutes comes from
Each hour of time difference equals 15 degrees of longitude, so 5 hours 45 minutes corresponds to 86.25° east. That meridian passes through eastern Nepal near the mountain Gauri Shankar, and it's much closer to Nepal's centre than India's reference meridian at 82.5° E. Using it keeps clock noon closer to solar noon across the country.
A short history
Nepal used Kathmandu's local mean time, UTC+5:41:16, until 1920, and then UTC+5:30, the same as India. In 1986 it moved its clocks forward 15 minutes to UTC+5:45. Besides the geographic argument, a separate national time is widely seen as a mark of identity next to India, its much larger neighbour.
Other unusual offsets
About a fifth of the world's people live in zones that aren't a whole number of hours from UTC. India (+5:30), Iran (+3:30), Afghanistan (+4:30), Myanmar (+6:30), Sri Lanka (+5:30), Newfoundland (−3:30) and central Australia (+9:30) all use half-hour offsets. The only other 45-minute zone in official use is New Zealand's Chatham Islands (+12:45). See all time zone anomalies.
Questions people ask
Is Nepal the only country with a 45-minute time zone?
Yes, for national time. The Chatham Islands, a territory of New Zealand, also use a 45-minute offset (UTC+12:45).
What is the time difference between Nepal and India?
Nepal is 15 minutes ahead of India.
Does Nepal have daylight saving time?
No. Nepal stays on UTC+5:45 all year.
Sources
Last updated October 18, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.